Contiguous Approach Conditioning: A Model for Positive Reinforcement

1974 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maury M. Haraway ◽  
Philip W. Wirth ◽  
Ernest G. Maples
Keyword(s):  
Food Supply ◽  
Positive Reinforcement ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Approach Behavior ◽  
Shuttle Box ◽  
Positive Reinforcer ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Physical Representation ◽  
Conditioned Approach ◽  
Flashing Light

The experiment was designed to demonstrate that a stimulus presented contiguously with the onset of a positive reinforcer, food, may serve as a conditioned elicitor of approach behavior. 20 naive male rats were assigned to two groups. Experimental Ss received their entire daily food supply paired with a flashing light. For control Ss, the light was presented uncorrelated with feeding. Approach behavior was assessed in a shuttle box. When the light was presented on the side of the hurdle opposite S, experimental Ss crossed the hurdle and approached the light significantly faster than did control Ss. The results are taken as physical representation of the conditioned approach responses postulated in Denny's interpretation of positive reinforcement effects.

Amount of Food as a Factor in Activity Conditioning

1973 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-415
Author(s):  
Ernest G. Maples ◽  
Beverly C. Weston ◽  
Maury M. Haraway
Keyword(s):  
Positive Reinforcement ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Conditioned Activity ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Flashing Light ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Classically Conditioned

The study investigated the relationship between the magnitude of classically conditioned activity and the amount of food used as the unconditioned stimulus. Groups of 6 male rats were given 13 days of training in which either 5/6, 2/6, or 0/6 of the daily food supply was paired with a flashing light. The remainder of S's food was presented an hour later. After training, activity in response to the light was assessed. The results indicated that magnitude of conditioned activity varied positively with amount of food. Analysis of variance for a randomized block design showed the difference among groups to be significant ( p < .01, two-sided). The results were interpreted as supporting classical conditioning interpretations of positive reinforcement.

scholarly journals Optogenetic activation of basolateral amygdala projections to nucleus accumbens core promotes cue-induced expectation of reward but not instrumental pursuit of cues

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Servonnet ◽  
Pierre-Paul Rompré ◽  
Anne-Noël Samaha
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Basolateral Amygdala ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Water Delivery ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens Core ◽  
Approach Behavior ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Conditioned Approach ◽  
Stimulation Of ◽  
Accumbens Core

Reward-associated conditioned stimuli (CS) can acquire predictive value, evoking conditioned approach behaviors that prepare animals to engage with forthcoming rewards. Such CS can also acquire conditioned reinforcing value, becoming attractive and pursued. Through their predictive and conditioned reinforcing properties, CS can promote adaptive (e.g., locating food) but also maladaptive responses (e.g., drug use). Basolateral amygdala neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens core (BLA→NAc core neurons) mediate the response to appetitive CS, but the extent to which this involves effects on the predictive and/or conditioned reinforcing properties of CS is unclear. Thus, we examined the effects of optogenetic stimulation of BLA→NAc core neurons on conditioned approach behavior and on the instrumental pursuit of a CS, the latter a measure of conditioned reinforcement. Water-restricted, adult male rats learned that a light-tone compound cue (CS) predicts water delivery. Pairing optogenetic stimulation of BLA→NAc core neurons with CS presentation potentiated conditioned approach behavior, and did so even under extinction conditions, when water was omitted. This suggests that BLA→NAc core neurons promote cue-induced expectation of rewards. Rats also received instrumental conditioning sessions during which they could lever press for CS presentations, without water delivery. Optogenetic stimulation of BLA→NAc core neurons either during these instrumental test sessions or during prior CS-water conditioning did not influence lever responding for the CS. This suggests that BLA→NAc core neurons do not influence the conditioned reinforcing effects of CS. We conclude that BLA→NAc core neurons promote cue-induced control over behavior by increasing cue-triggered anticipation of rewards, without influencing cue 'wanting'.

The anorectic effect of fenfluramine is influenced by sex and stage of the estrous cycle in rats

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (6) ◽  
pp. R1486-R1491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Eckel ◽  
Heidi M. Rivera ◽  
Deann P. D. Atchley
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Estrous Cycle ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Gonadal Hormone ◽  
Estrous Female ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Hormone Status ◽  
Anorectic Effect

The controls of food intake differ in male and female rats. Daily food intake is typically greater in male rats, relative to female rats, and a decrease in food intake, coincident with the estrous stage of the ovarian reproductive cycle, is well documented in female rats. This estrous-related decrease in food intake has been attributed to a transient increase in the female rat's sensitivity to satiety signals generated during feeding bouts. Here, we investigated whether sex or stage of the estrous cycle modulate the satiety signal generated by fenfluramine, a potent serotonin (5-HT) releasing agent. To examine this hypothesis, food intake was monitored in male, diestrous female, and estrous female rats after intraperitoneal injections of 0, 0.25, and 1.0 mg/kg d-fenfluramine. The lower dose of fenfluramine decreased food intake only in diestrous and estrous females, suggesting that the minimally effective anorectic dose of fenfluramine is lower in female rats, relative to male rats. Although the larger dose of fenfluramine decreased food intake in both sexes, the duration of anorexia was greater in diestrous and estrous female rats, relative to male rats. Moreover, the magnitude of the anorectic effect of the larger dose of fenfluramine was greatest in estrous rats, intermediate in diestrous rats, and least in male rats. Thus our findings indicate that the anorectic effect of fenfluramine is modulated by gonadal hormone status.

What is Both Necessary and Sufficient to Maintain Avoidance Responding in the Shuttle Box?

1972 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Katzev
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Rate ◽  
Avoidance Training ◽  
Warning Signal ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Shuttle Box ◽  
Training Conditions ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient ◽  
Avoidance Responses

To learn what maintains the frequency of shuttle box avoidance responses, male rats from the Berkeley S1 strain, after 200 trials of standard discriminative avoidance training, were given 100 additional trials under one of four different conditions. Responding at the maximum rate was maintained when animals performed under the training conditions or when responses continued to terminate the warning signal immediately, even though shock was never given for failing to respond. In contrast, avoidance responding was reduced markedly if, and only if, trials were given in which the signal ceased to terminate immediately (i.e. it shut off either well before or well after a response). This decrement occurred even though avoidance responses continued to avert shock. Thus, under the conditions of this experiment prompt signal offset was both necessary and sufficient to maintain the occurrence of well-established shuttle box avoidance responses.

Social Facilitation following Response Prevention in the Rat

1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-133
Author(s):  
Donald P. Corriveau ◽  
Katherine Contildes ◽  
Nelson F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Avoidance Response ◽  
Social Facilitation ◽  
Conditioned Avoidance ◽  
Response Prevention ◽  
Conditioned Avoidance Response ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Approach Behavior ◽  
Fear Reduction ◽  
The Social

Baum (1969) found that the presence of a nonfearful rat during response prevention facilitated fear reduction. However, Baum used the problematic “reduction in the conditioned avoidance response” as a measure of fear. The present study re-examined the social facilitation effect by examining approach behavior as an index of fear. 60 male rats either received or did not receive response prevention. These treatments were presented either alone or in the presence of a mobile or immobile nonfearful rat. Although all measures of fear showed significant response prevention, none showed social facilitation. The discrepancy between these results and those of Baum was explained by hypothesizing the conditioning of incompatible responses within the context of avoidance procedures.

MEAL-EATING AND LIPOGENESIS IN VITRO OF RATS FED A LOW-PROTEIN DIET

1964 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 665-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Beaton ◽  
V. Feleki ◽  
A. J. Szlavko ◽  
J. A. F. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Liver Glycogen ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Acetate Incorporation ◽  
Casein Diet ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Daily Food

The response of male rats to the restriction of food intake to 2 hours each day for 14 to 16 days has been assessed by the measurement of food intakes, body weights, liver glycogen concentrations, and lipogenesis of adipose tissue (C14-acetate incorporation in vitro). The animals were fed either a 20% casein diet (controls) or an isocaloric 5% casein diet. As a consequence of meal-eating, and regardless of dietary protein level, the average daily food intake and body weight gain were decreased whereas the lipogenesis in vitro and liver glycogen concentration were increased in comparison with rats fed ad libitum,which is in agreement with earlier findings using normal diets. These observations suggest that the decreased body fat of rats fed a 5% casein diet is not a consequence of an impaired ability of adipose tissue to synthesize fat.

Contiguous Withdrawal Conditioning: A Model for Punishment

1974 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maury M. Haraway ◽  
Ernest G. Maples
Keyword(s):  
Aversive Stimulus ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Conditioned Approach ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Skinner Box

The study was intended to extend Denny's elicitation theory, which accounts for reinforcement effects through contiguously conditioned approach responses, to the treatment of punishment. This treatment would rest on a demonstration of contiguously conditioned withdrawal responses to stimuli which have been paired with the onset of an aversive stimulus. Two groups of 20 male rats were trained in random order in a standard Skinner box. Experimental Ss received 25 trials in which the onset of a 6-w light was paired with the onset of a 1-ma. shock. Controls received 25 presentations of the light and shock, but these were presented uncorrected with one another. Ss were tested individually in a modified T-maze. A 6-w light was presented in one of the T-arms, randomly selected. Of 20 experimental Ss 17 withdrew from the light but only 9 of 20 control Ss withdrew. The difference between proportions was significant ( p < .01). The findings are taken as allowing the extension of Denny's theory to account for punishment.

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