Effects of rules on schedule performance with synchronous schedules of reinforcement

Two recent studies provided participants with their preferred music on synchronous schedules for increasing and decreasing their walking speed on a treadmill. Both studies demonstrated schedule control with most of their participants; however, the researchers speculated that presession rules may have contributed to this control. The purpose of this study was to examine how rules influenced schedule control of walking speed with the treadmill preparation. First, we randomly assigned 39 participants to one of three groups: accurate rules, inaccurate rules, or no rules. Second, we identified each participant's preferred music genre using a conjugate assessment. Third, we exposed each participant to five mixed-schedule components while they walked on a treadmill. The components differed in terms of the walking-speed requirements for participants to access reinforcement, and participants received accurate rules, inaccurate rules, or no rules about upcoming contingencies prior to each component presentation. Results showed schedule control emerged for (a) 8 of 13 (61%) participants in the accurate rules group, (b) 0 of 13 (0%) participants in the inaccurate rule group, and (c) 1 of 13 (7.69%) participants in the no rules group. Results also showed that 24 of 26 (92.3%) participants in the two rules groups changed their speed in accordance with the rules before contacting consequences. Collectively, the findings suggest that rules can either facilitate or impede schedule control with synchronous reinforcement schedules during the treadmill preparation.