Preference in Pigeons Given a Choice Between Sequences of Fixed-ratio Schedules: Effects of Ratio Values and Duration of Food Delivery

Pigeons were exposed to schedules that consisted of two sequential fixed ratios, the completion of each followed by food delivery. When each alternative provided two food deliveries per 100 responses, the schedule with the shorter initial fixed-ratio value was consistently preferred. Subsequent attempts were made to shift this established preference by (1) increasing the ratio requirement in the second fixed ratio of the preferred schedule; (2) increasing the duration of food delivery in the second fixed ratio of the nonpreferred schedule; (3) decreasing the duration of food delivery in the first fixed ratio of the preferred schedule; and (4) shortening the second fixed ratio of the nonpreferred schedule. Preference shifted from the schedule with the shorter initial fixed ratio only when the duration of food delivery associated with the first fixed ratio of that schedule was too brief to allow eating. Under all other conditions, pigeons strongly preferred the schedule with the shorter initial fixed ratio even when, overall, that schedule yielded briefer access to food or required more responses to obtain equivalent access.