The modulation of operant variation by the probability, magnitude, and delay of reinforcement

Recent studies have demonstrated that the expectation of reward delivery has an inverse relationship with operant behavioral variation (e.g., Stahlman, Roberts, & Blaisdell, 2010). Research thus far has largely focused on one aspect of reinforcement – the likelihood of food delivery. In two experiments with pigeons, we examined the effect of two other aspects of reinforcement: the magnitude of the reward and the temporal delay between the operant response and outcome delivery. In the first experiment, we found that a large reward magnitude resulted in reduced spatiotemporal variation in pigeons’ pecking behavior. In the second experiment, we found that a 4-s delay between response-dependent trial termination and reward delivery increased variation in behavior. These results indicate that multiple dimensions of the reinforcer modulate operant response variation.

► Reward probability and magnitude modulate variability of pecking behavior in pigeons (Exp. 1).
► Reward probability and delay modulate variability of pecking behavior in pigeons (Exp. 2).
► Multiple components of reinforcement influence respondent variability.
► Evidence for negative relationship between response variability and reward expectation.