The control of keypecks during automaintenance by prekeypeck omission training

Measures of pigeons’ prekeypecking (pecking in front of the response key) during automaintenance sessions with keypeck omission contingencies indicate that prekeypecks occur frequently and are often followed by grain delivery. When the omission procedure is extended to prevent food delivery following any trial on which prekeypecks occur within 2 in. of the response key, keypecking is not maintained. These results are taken to suggest that the automaintenance keypeck is part of a sequence of approach behaviors, including prekeypecks. The persistence of keypecking during automaintenance schedules appears to result from the adventitious reinforcement of prekeypecks close to the response key, and the effectiveness of the omission procedure seems to depend upon the extent of the approach behaviors which result in omission.