Variables Affecting Avoidance Conditioning in Free-Responding and Discrete-Trial Situations

1965 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Fitzgerald ◽  
Judson S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Avoidance Conditioning ◽  
Intertrial Interval ◽  
Discrete Trial ◽  
Wheel Rotation ◽  
Avoidance Situation ◽  
Wheel Turning ◽  
Increasing Function

The wheel-turning performance of 140 hooded rats was studied both in a free-responding and in a discrete-trial avoidance situation. A 3 × 2 × 2 design, involving comparisons of three intertrial intervals (15, 30, and 60 sec.), two CS-UCS intervals (constant and variable), and two wheel-rotation criteria (90° and 360°), was employed in the free-responding condition. Differential avoidance was found to be a positive increasing function of the length of the intertrial interval, but it was not affected substantially by CS-UCS interval or by the rotation requirement. No group's performance exceeded 42% on any day. Performance with the discrete-trial technique improved significantly in the case of the 15 sec. ITI but not for the 60-sec. ITI. Problems involved in making meaningful comparisons of free-responding and discrete-trial procedures were discussed.

Successive Approximation Procedures for Wheel-Turning Avoidance Learning

1967 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 577-583
Author(s):  
Judson S. Brown ◽  
Robert D. Fitzgerald ◽  
Timothy J. Teyler
Keyword(s):  
Successive Approximation ◽  
Avoidance Learning ◽  
Discrete Trial ◽  
Free Response ◽  
Avoidance Paradigm ◽  
Wheel Turning

Attempts to establish high levels of wheel-turning avoidance in rats using the traditional avoidance paradigm have met with indifferent success. In this study, 3 new paradigms, each involving gradual transitions from escape to avoidance, were evaluated under both free-responding and discrete-trial conditions. All 3 programs tended to produce more frequent avoidances than the conventional one and the discrete-trial method proved superior to the free-response arrangement.

Conditioned Jump-Out Avoidance Acquisition and “Incubation of Fear” in a Large Sample of Rats

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 735-746
Author(s):  
Albert Weissman
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Avoidance Conditioning ◽  
Intertrial Interval ◽  
Avoidance Acquisition ◽  
Markov Chain Analysis ◽  
State Behavior ◽  
Chain Analysis ◽  
Training Post ◽  
Steady State Behavior

Over 3000 naive rats received 40 avoidance conditioning trials in a jump-out box. A 2- to 3-hr. break followed Trial 20; otherwise, all trials were closely massed with an intertrial interval of 3 to 5 sec. Acquisition was orderly, with steady-state behavior demonstrated by Markov chain analysis from Trials 31 to 40. Response probabilities on all trials depended strongly on the behavior emitted on 1, 2 or 3 consecutive preceding trials. Although behavior was disrupted on Trial 21, the trial that followed the break in training, post-break performance by Trial 23 was significantly improved over the performance predicted by pre-break behavior. This enhancement of performance could not be attributed solely to results of avoidance failure on Trial 21 and may provide unique evidence for “incubation of fear.”

Modification of Reinforcement Aftereffects and Level of Training

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Spivey ◽  
David T. Hess ◽  
Joseph F. Aponte
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Intertrial Interval ◽  
Acquisition Training ◽  
Resistance To Extinction ◽  
Level Of Training ◽  
Increasing Function

In the first of 2 experiments, 3 groups of 8 rats each were given 1 day of acquisition training in a runway under the same reinforcement schedule, RNNRNNRNNR. The groups were differentiated only on the basis of NT-length, which was regulated by placing Ss by hand in the baited goalbox during the intertrial interval following Trials 1, 4, 7 (Group N2-length), Trials 2, 5, 8 (Group N1-length), or Trials 3, 6, 9 (Group N0-length). on the day subsequent to acquisition training 10 N trials were administered. The second experiment was essentially a replication of the first, except it only included Groups N1 and N2, each of which contained 11 Ss. The finding that resistance to extinction was an increasing function of N-length was interpreted as supporting the modified aftereffects hypothesis and as presenting particular difficulties for some alternative views.

Pattern of Reinforcement and Intertrial Interval Effects on Acquisition and Extinction Performance in Humans

1974 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-117
Author(s):  
G. C. Jernstedt
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Intertrial Interval ◽  
Instrumental Conditioning ◽  
Partial Reinforcement ◽  
Large Percentage ◽  
Total Variance ◽  
Extinction Performance ◽  
Discrete Trial ◽  
Conditioning Situation ◽  
Observing Responses

College students made observing responses in a discrete-trial instrumental-conditioning situation. Intertrial intervals from 1 to 10 sec. were factorially combined with patterns of reinforcement involving different total numbers of non-reinforcements, numbers of successively occurring non-reinforcements, and numbers of non-reinforced—reinforced trial transitions. In agreement with previous studies with rats, Exp. 1 indicated that intertrial interval interacts with pattern of reinforcement and accounts for a large percentage of the total variance. Contrary to previous studies with rats, Exp. 2 indicated that the effects of intertrial interval with humans are due to more than just those intertrial intervals near a non-reinforced—reinforced trial transition. Though much of the basic human and animal partial-reinforcement data are similar, the theoretical accounts apparently should differ.

scholarly journals Intertrial interval in the maintenance of discrete-trial avoidance

1965 ◽  
Vol 2 (1-12) ◽  
pp. 33-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Weisman ◽  
D. J. Zerbolio ◽  
M. R. Denny
Keyword(s):  
Intertrial Interval ◽  
Discrete Trial

Discrete-Trial Bar-Pressing Performance as a Function of Length of Response Chain, Number of Reinforcements, and Percentage Reward

1965 ◽  
Vol 16 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1109-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Porter ◽  
James J. Hug
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Criterion ◽  
Discrete Trial ◽  
Response Chain ◽  
Acquisition Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Increasing Function

Eight groups of 8 hooded rats were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 design of 32 or 128 acquisition trials, 50% or 100% reward, and chains of 1 or 8 bar-presses. Starting speeds were examined, as were trials to an extinction criterion of 5 min. without completing a response chain. During acquisition, performance was an increasing function of the number of trials and percentage reward. For the 128-trial groups, at 1:1 reward 50% rewarded Ss responded significantly faster than 100% Ss; however, at 8:1 reward there was no significant difference due to percentage reward. The number of trials to extinction was an increasing function of the number of acquisition trials and a decreasing function of length of response chain. While all other groups reflected a rise in performance with an increase in number of acquisition trials, the 100%-8:1 groups showed no change in performance due to this variable.

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