The Post-Reinforcement Pause: A Misnomer

The experimental analysis of behavior has placed emphasis on the development of precise, unambiguous terminology. The term “post-reinforcement pause” describing pausing in ratio schedules may have implications beyond its simple descriptive meaning. Pausing in ratio schedules may be largely a function of upcoming ratio size. Since terms such as “post-reinforcement pause” can be misleading, their use is discouraged. If it is desirable to suggest a functional relation between pause and subsequent ratio, the terms “pause before ratio run” or “pre-ratio pause” can be used. If a purely descriptive term is preferred, the term “between-ratio pause” is suggested.