On the time course of rapid and repeatable response induction

• Responses to one of five nose pokes were reinforced in each condition.
• Reinforced nose poke changed across conditions.
• Induction gradients were obtained in each session.
• Induction dissipated within each session.
• Induction also dissipated across sessions.

As reinforcers are delivered for a particular response, that response increases. Other similar responses also increase, with the extent to which this increase is seen being positively related to the similarity between the responses. This process, called induction, is pronounced during initial response acquisition, and dissipates as the target response is established. The present experiment examined this process in a paradigm wherein responses to one of five nose poke receptacles results in reinforcement for six sessions in each condition and the target location changes between conditions. Consistent patterns of induction were seen across conditions, with patterns of induction dissipating within each condition.