This program written in Superlab 4.0 is an abbreviated example of a concurrent chains experiment that I’m doing with pigeons. The procedure is as follows: they get a “start cue” first which they must peck to let me know where they are in the cage. Then they get a choice between left and right stimuli (each is a black square with a gray dot in the middle). If they choose left, they get a series of randomly-placed images of a baseball. If they choose right they get a series of images of a similar baseball that follow a pattern on the touchscreen (ABCDE). Once in awhile they get a reward (blue-border around the image).
I’m using the “correct/incorrect” feedback function to determine what follows a left or right peck on the screen. Correct responses are followed by the random series; incorrect responses lead to the patterned series. My problem is that when I specify that incorrect responses lead to the pattern, it appears that all possible responses that are not correct also lead to the pattern. So, if the subject pecks the right stimulus they get the patterned series. But if they also peck at the location where the start cue used to be, they also get the pattern. Any designated response area on the touch screen seems to be interpreted as “incorrect,” even if the stimulus associated with that location is not on at that moment. I want only the stimulus that is on the right to lead to the pattern.
What can I do about this? Essentially, I want to turn off all incorrect responses except the one that is associated with the right stimulus.
concurrent chains example.sl4 (20.8 KB)
