Date of Award

4-1991

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Jack L. Michael

Second Advisor

Dr. Alan Poling

Third Advisor

Dr. Alyce Dickinson

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Subjects were exposed to a discrete-trial procedure in which reinforcement following the completion of a two-component response chain was dependent upon the presence or absence of the houselight. The procedure used closely resembles the hypothetical procedure suggested by Michael (1982) for developing control by a conditioned establishing operation. All subjects came to respond differentially in the presence and absence of the houselight. However, removal of the supposed conditioned reinforcer following completion of the first component of the response chain had little effect on control by the houselight, casting some doubt on Michael's (1982) theoretical analysis.

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