Semester of Graduation

Spring, 2026

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Humans and non-humans tend to display undermatching for stimuli positively correlated with reinforcement (i.e., S+). C/t ratios are a method of quantifying the temporal informativeness of S+, which may help account for varied levels of sensitivity to relative S+ production rate. However, researchers have yet to investigate the effects of C/t on choice. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the influence of C/t on sensitivity to relative S+ production rate in a concurrent observing response procedure. Each participant experienced eight conditions in which C/t and relative S+ production rate varied. Specifically, four relative S+ production rates were programmed with either low or high C/t. We evaluated differences in sensitivity by comparing multilevel-regression models with and without C/t as a fixed-effect parameter and by comparing fits of the generalized matching equation across each participants’ low- and high-C/t conditions. Our results suggest that participants’ behavior was sensitive to relative S+ production rate, but that differences in C/t did not systematically influence sensitivity. Surprisingly, participants’ behavior tended to be more sensitive in their low-C/t conditions relative to their high-C/t conditions. Considering differences in obtained C/t and putative conditioning trials across low- and high-C/t conditions, methods for limiting heterogeneity and disentangling the relative contributions of both variables are discussed

Date

3-24-2026

Committee Chair

Morris, Samuel L.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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Available for download on Wednesday, March 24, 2027

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