CONCURRENT ACTIVITIES AND INSTRUCTED HUMAN FIXED‐INTERVAL PERFORMANCE

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Abstract
Two experiments explored the effects of two types of concurrent activity on human fixed‐interval performance. Eight adult subjects were given access to either reading material or a working television set across three fixed‐interval values (60 s, 300 s, and 600 s). During Experiment 1, 2 subjects produced “scalloped” patterns and reported no verbal regulation (e.g., counting) in the presence of the reading material, but shifted to low‐rate patterns and reported verbal regulation when the reading material was withdrawn. The 2 other subjects in Experiment 1 produced consistent low‐rate performances and reported verbal regulation during access to reading material. However, when these subjects were given access to a working television set, they produced scalloped patterns and reported no verbal regulation. During Experiment 2, 4 experimentally naive subjects showed consistent scalloped patterning and no verbal regulation across fixed‐interval values when they were allowed to watch television. When access to the television was denied, subjects reliably reported verbal regulation, and low‐rate patterns emerged. These behavioral effects focus our attention on the contingencies that control human performance on fixed‐interval schedules.

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