THE EFFECTS OF TERMINAL‐LINK FIXED‐INTERVAL AND VARIABLE‐INTERVAL SCHEDULES ON RESPONDING UNDER CONCURRENT CHAINED SCHEDULES1

Abstract

Previous work using variable‐interval schedules in the terminal links of concurrent chained schedules suggested that relative choice proportion in the initial links equalled relative rate of reinforcement in the terminal links. With fixed‐interval terminal‐link schedules, however, matching was not obtained. The present study held pairs of fixed‐interval terminal‐link schedules in a constant ratio but varied absolute sizes. Relative choice for the smaller terminal‐link fixed‐interval schedule was a negatively accelerated, increasing function of absolute size of the fixed‐interval pairs. Matching was found only with the fixed‐interval pair of 5 and 10 sec. When pairs of variable‐interval schedules were arranged so that the harmonic mean of the intervals equalled the fixed‐interval parameter values, relative choice functions were like those for fixed‐interval schedules.