UNCONFOUNDING TIME AND NUMBER DISCRIMINATION IN A MECHNER COUNTING SCHEDULE

Food-deprived pigeons were trained on a modified Mechner counting schedule under which a peck at the center key produced grain reinforcement provided that this response was preceded by n or more consecutive pecks at the left key. Each peck at the left key produced either a fixed- or a variable-duration blackout. In the former, but not the latter, procedure, confounding of a fixed time period between the first and last responses on the left key and number of responses on the left key was possible. The results showed that the count of responses, independent of the duration of responding, may act as a controlling stimulus. © 1979, The Psychonomic Soceity, Inc.. All rights reserved.