A positive contrast effect in probability learning with monetary incentives

1968 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 381-382
Author(s):  
Joseph Halpern ◽  
Paul D. Knott
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Probability Learning ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect

Behavioral Contrast in Pigeons with Qualitatively Different Reinforcers

1979 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 535-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Pingrey ◽  
Denis L. Delehanty ◽  
D. Alan Stubbs
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Schedule ◽  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Behavioral Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect ◽  
Positive Behavioral Contrast ◽  
Extinction Component

Three white Carneaux pigeons were trained to respond on a mult VI 1-min. (milo reinforcement), VI 1-min. (pea reinforcement) schedule when each component was associated with a different key, feeder, and reinforcer. The experiment was divided into four phases. In Phases 1 and 3, baseline rates of responding were established. In experimental Phases 2 and 4, one component of the multiple schedule was changed to extinction. During the experimental phases, response rates decreased in the extinction component and increased in the unchanged component (positive behavioral contrast). The increase in responding in the unchanged component was greater when the more valued reinforcer was extinguished. These findings are very similar to those reported by Beninger and Kendall (1975) and extend the positive contrast effect to another species, pigeons.

scholarly journals Successive Positive Contrast in One-Way Avoidance Learning

2002 ◽  
Vol 55 (2b) ◽  
pp. 171-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Cándido ◽  
Antonio Maldonado ◽  
Alicia Rodríguez ◽  
Alberto Morales
Keyword(s):  
Avoidance Response ◽  
Avoidance Learning ◽  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Warning Signal ◽  
Specific Weight ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
Improved Performance

The main finding of these experiments was a positive contrast effect in one-way avoidance learning. Experiment 1 showed that increasing safety time during one-way avoidance training led to improved performance, surpassing that of a control group that had received the high reward (safe time) from the beginning of training. Experiment 2 showed that a similar positive contrast effect occurred when the time spent in the danger compartment before the onset of the warning signal was shortened. These results suggest that time spent in a safe context acts as a reinforcer of the avoidance response; however, its incentive value depends not only on its duration, but also on the length of the time spent in the danger compartment before the onset of the signal. Overall, results also suggest that the avoidance response is a mixture of flight (motivated by fear) and approach (to a safe place) behaviour. The specific weight of the flight or approach component may be a function of the time and the amount of activation of each emotional state (fear or relief) due to opponent homeostatic compensatory processes that occur in the danger and safe compartments during one-way avoidance learning.

Runway Performance as a Function of Magnitude of Runway Reward and Intertrial Reinforcement

1973 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger W. Black ◽  
William House ◽  
Jon Moss
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Negative Contrast Effect ◽  
Negative Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Straight Alley ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect ◽  
Runway Performance ◽  
Extended Training ◽  
Runway Trial ◽  
Intertrial Reinforcement

Rats were trained to traverse a straight alley for either 1 or 10 food pellets as reward. Each runway trial was preceded by an intertrial reinforcement of 1 or 10 pellets. A negative contrast effect obtained and persisted throughout the 72 trials conducted. Although there was a strong suggestion of a positive contrast effect throughout training, the effect did not prove reliable. The contrast effect results were interpreted as challenging the view that with extended training ITRs become “irrelevant” to runway reward.

Multiple Shifts in Magnitude of Reward

1981 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 335-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Goomas
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Large Reward ◽  
Small Reward ◽  
Negative Contrast Effect ◽  
Negative Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect ◽  
Shift Group

Three groups of 5 rats were administered either large reward (10 pellets), small reward (2 pellets), or multiple shifts (Iarge-small-large-etc.) in an alleyway. The multiple-shift group received a total of 7 large and 6 small phases of reinforcement. Early in training the shifted group exhibited positive contrast effect to a shift to large reward and negative contrast effect to a shift to small reward. Later in training, the same group showed neither effect perhaps because experience with the shift provided a smaller discrepancy between the upshifts and downshifts in magnitude of reward.

Effects of Shifts in Delayed Food Reward: Repeated Shifts

1979 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-222
Author(s):  
David T. Goomas
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Negative Contrast Effect ◽  
Negative Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Positive Contrast Effect ◽  
Second Shift

In a repeated-shifts study, a negative contrast effect was obtained when a group of rats was shifted from 0- to 20-sec. delayed food reward only in the first, but not the second, shift. No positive contrast effect was obtained in either shift when a group of rats was shifted from 20- to 0-sec. delayed food reward. Shifts in delay are not repeatedly effective in inducing negative contrast and not effective at all in inducing positive contrast.

Effects of Monetary Incentives on Task Switching

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 216-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Kleinsorge ◽  
Gerhard Rinkenauer
Keyword(s):  
Task Switching ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
General Level ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Switch Costs ◽  
Expectancy Effect ◽  
Reward Expectancy ◽  
Trial Basis

In two experiments, effects of incentives on task switching were investigated. Incentives were provided as a monetary bonus. In both experiments, the availability of a bonus varied on a trial-to-trial basis. The main difference between the experiments relates to the association of incentives to individual tasks. In Experiment 1, the association of incentives to individual tasks was fixed. Under these conditions, the effect of incentives was largely due to reward expectancy. Switch costs were reduced to statistical insignificance. This was true even with the task that was not associated with a bonus. In Experiment 2, there was a variable association of incentives to individual tasks. Under these conditions, the reward expectancy effect was bound to conditions with a well-established bonus-task association. In conditions in which the bonus-task association was not established in advance, enhanced performance of the bonus task was accompanied by performance decrements with the task that was not associated with a bonus. Reward expectancy affected mainly the general level of performance. The outcome of this study may also inform recently suggested neurobiological accounts about the temporal dynamics of reward processing.

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