Divided Attention and Reinforcement Variables

分散注意力和强化变量

• 批准号: 6985306
• 负责人: Timothy A Shahan
• 金额: $ 15.19万
• 依托单位: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-15 至 2008-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6985306
• 关键词: attention; behavior prediction; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; bias; choice; operant conditionings; pigeons; reinforcer; statistics /biometry; stimulus /response; visual stimulus; attention; behavior prediction; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; bias; choice; operant conditionings; pigeons; reinforcer; statistics /biometry; stimulus /response; visual stimulus

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Problems in the allocation and persistence of attention occur in various psychological disorders (e.g., ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, and drug abuse). Attention appears to be in part a voluntary skill, but little is known about the role of differential consequences in the control of attention. Quantitative theories of voluntary (i.e., operant) behavior describe how differential consequences modulate the allocation and persistence of behavior, and may be applicable to attention. The matching law suggests that the allocation of behavior to two options equals the distribution of reinforcers obtained from the options. Behavioral momentum theory suggests that the persistence of behavior in the presence of a stimulus is governed by the rate of reinforcement obtained in that presence of that stimulus. This research aims to examine the applicability of these theories to the control of attention by differential consequences in an animal model. A procedure will be used in which pigeons are presented with samples comprised of two elements (color and line orientation) and then required to chose one of the elements from two element comparison stimuli (two colors or lines). Accurate performance requires the division of attention between the two elements of the sample. Change in accuracy will be used to measure the allocation and persistence of attending to each of the elements in the compound sample. The specific aims of this research are: 1) to determine if the allocation of attention to an element of a compound stimulus varies as a function of the relative distribution of reinforcement for attending to that element. 2) To examine the effects of differential reinforcement on the persistence of attending in the face of disruption. 3) To begin an analysis of the mechanisms through which differential reinforcement affects divided attention performance. The development of quantitative theories describing the role of differential consequences in the control of attention may lead to more effective behavioral interventions for disorders associated with problems in the allocation and persistence of attention.

描述（由申请人提供）：各种心理疾病（例如ADHD，自闭症，精神分裂症和药物滥用）的分配和持续性问题出现。注意似乎部分是一种自愿技能，但对差异后果在控制注意力中的作用知之甚少。自愿性（即操作者）行为的定量理论描述了差异后果如何调节行为的分配和持久性，并且可能适用于注意力。匹配定律表明，对两个选项的行为分配等于从选项中获得的增强剂的分布。行为动量理论表明，在存在刺激的情况下，行为的持久性受到这种刺激存在的增强率的控制。这项研究旨在检查这些理论在动物模型中通过差异后果控制注意力的适用性。将使用一个程序，其中将鸽子与由两个元素（颜色和线方向）组成的样品呈现，然后从两个元素比较刺激（两种颜色或线条）中选择其中一个元素。准确的性能需要在样本的两个要素之间分配注意力。准确性的变化将用于测量对化合物样品中每个元素的参与的分配和持久性。这项研究的具体目的是：1）确定对复合刺激元素的关注分配是否随着加固的相对分布而变化。 2）检查差分强化对面对破坏时持续的持续性的影响。 3）开始分析差异加强影响分裂的注意力表现的机制。描述差异后果在关注控制中的作用的定量理论的发展可能会导致对与问题分配和持久性有关的疾病相关的疾病的更有效的行为干预措施。