The Effect of Intertrial Food Presentations on Anticipatory Goal-Tracking in the Rat

1993 ◽  
Vol 46 (3b) ◽  
pp. 289-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula J. Durlach ◽  
Dairn O. Shane
Keyword(s):  
Stimulus Control ◽  
Conditional Stimulus ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Food Tray ◽  
Goal Tracking

Four experiments examined the sensitivity of anticipatory goal-tracking in the rat to stimulus-food contingency. Contingency was manipulated by varying the probability of food delivery in the absence of a food-tray-light or clicker conditional stimulus (CS), while holding constant the probability of food coincident with the CS. CS control of anticipatory food tray investigation was examined after a period of context extinction in all experiments. Acquisition of stimulus control was undermined by the scheduling of intertrial food deliveries (Experiment 1). The rate of intertrial food deliveries influenced subsequent acquisition of CS control when all intertrial food deliveries were omitted (Experiment 2). When intertrial food deliveries were added to the training regimen subsequent to acquisition of CS control, that control was impaired (Experiments 3 and 4).

Physiological correlates of schedule-induced activities in rats

1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. R485-R491 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Mittleman ◽  
J. Brener ◽  
T. W. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Final Stage ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Food Tray ◽  
General Activity ◽  
Subject Differences

Oxygen consumption and heart rate as well as a range of behavior variables were tracked continuously as rats adapted to a schedule of food delivery. Over 15 days of observation a majority of the subjects developed characteristic patterns of schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) in which bouts of drinking reliably followed food delivery. Variations in food tray entries, oxygen consumption, heart rate, and, in the final stage of the experiment, rates of general activity were also time locked to food delivery in both rats exhibiting SIP and nondrinkers. However, the patterns of variation in these measures differed consistently between these two groups. Oxygen consumption varied over a wider range and reached higher levels in drinkers than nondrinkers. Additionally, heart rate was lower in the drinkers, which, in the final stage of the experiment, also exhibited depressed rates of food tray entries and general activity relative to the nondrinkers. Each of these between-subject differences was paralleled by differences within the drinking group between trials on which drinking occurred and trials on which it did not occur. The implications of these results on the utility of unidimensional energetic constructs are discussed.

Conditional stimulus control.

1970 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric G. Heinemann ◽  
Sheila Chase
Keyword(s):  
Stimulus Control ◽  
Conditional Stimulus

Conditional Stimulus Control of Childrens' Sequence Production

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 903-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Stromer ◽  
Harry A. Mackay
Keyword(s):  
Stimulus Control ◽  
Conditional Stimulus ◽  
Direct Training ◽  
Conditional Control ◽  
Sequence Production ◽  
Stimulus Classes ◽  
Printed Word

Normally capable children were first taught to touch in sequence each of a set of five physically dissimilar stimuli (Sequence A). Another set of stimuli was then used to train sequence B. Next, direct training established conditional control of the production of the A sequence and its reversal: in the presence of one printed word, touching the stimuli in the order A1→A2→A3→A4→A5 was reinforced; in the presence of another word, touching the stimuli in the order A5→A4→A3→A2→A1 was reinforced. During probe sessions, the printed words also exercised conditional control over production of the B sequence and its reversal for five of six subjects, suggesting the formation of stimulus classes. Four of these five subjects also performed mixed sequences under conditional control of the words (e.g., A1→B2→A3→B4→A5 and its reversal), verifying that the stimuli which occupied the same position in each sequence were members of the same class.

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