Frustration Effect in a Free Operant Situation for Albino Rats

1975 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 999-1006
Author(s):  
B. Michael Quirt ◽  
Jerome S. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Frustration Effect ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Schedules Of Reinforcement ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Intermittent Reinforcement ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Free Operant Situation

Rats were trained to bar press for food reinforcement in a two-bar multiple fixed-ratio situation. After the animal had established asymptotic rates of time for transferring between bars and responding on each bar, responding on one bar led to no reinforcement or random intermittent (50%) reinforcement. Responding on a second bar was always reinforced. Under both schedules of reinforcement, rats decreased their time to transfer to the second bar and their time to respond on the second bar. All animals also displayed an initial disruption of transfer back to and responses on the first bar. For rats on the intermittent reinforcement schedule, the decreased response time on the reinforced bar was primarily found after nonreinforcement of response to the previous bar. Reinforcement schedules for response to the first bar did not differentially affect the above behavior.

Behavioral Effects of Microwave Reinforcement Schedules and Variations in Microwave Intensity on Albino Rats

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 787-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Vitulli ◽  
J. Ken Lambert ◽  
Stella W. Brown ◽  
Joseph M. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Radiation ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Exploratory Investigation

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to determine the interactive effects of fixed-ratio scheduling of microwave reinforcement in tandem with changes in microwave intensity. Nine albino rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with microwave radiation while living in a Skinner (operant conditioning) Box in which the ambient temperature was about 27.13°F at the beginning of the session. Each rat obtained a 6-sec. exposure of microwave radiation on a fixed-ratio schedule of MW reinforcement, the values of which varied from FR-1 to FR-30. Intensities of MW radiation were 62.5 W, 125 W, 250 W, and 437.5 W. Sessions lasted for 8 to 9 hr. over an approximate 13-mo. period. The effects of the intensity of microwave reinforcement varied as a function of the ratio value of the schedule used. Continuous reinforcement (FR-1) produced the lowest over-all rates, whereas FR-15, and FR-25 produced the highest over-all rates. Relatively higher thermal-behavior rates occurred under 62.5 W than under any of the other MW intensities for FR-1, FR-15, and FR-25, whereas FR-10 and FR-30 ratios produced intermediate rates of thermal responding which were constant for all values of MW intensity. These data are explained in terms of interactive effects between the “local” satiation or deprivation properties of the MW intensity and the ratio requirements of the schedule of MW reinforcement.

Behavioral Determination of Critical Flicker Frequency in the Rat

1969 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 655-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin D. Schechter ◽  
J. C. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Light Source ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Critical Flicker Frequency ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Fixed Ratio Schedule ◽  
Flicker Frequency ◽  
Linear Decrease

3 female albino rats were trained to press a lever for a food reinforcement on a fixed ratio schedule. When a stationary light source flickered at 100 cps, the rats could obtain reinforcement contingent upon 10 responses. When stimulus lights flashed at frequencies of 20, 50, 70, or 100 cps, the rats were not rewarded. These two conditions controlled the animals' behavior so as to require them to respond only when the light was steady (100 cps). Increased flicker frequency, between 2 and 100 cps, in the SΔ condition, provided a discriminative task. There was a linear decrease in efficiency of discrimination as the frequency of flicker increased. The reliability of the albino rat's behavior in physiologically and pharmacologically oriented cff investigations is discussed.

Overtraining Extinction Effect Using a Free-Operant Procedure

1972 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom N. Tombaugh ◽  
Pierre St. Jean
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Resistance To Extinction ◽  
Extended Training ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Increasing Function ◽  
Operant Procedure ◽  
Free Operant Situation

The effects of five levels of training (210, 490, 1470, 2450, 3430 reinforced responses) on extinction performance were investigated. A free-operant bar-press paradigm was employed. A continuous reinforcement schedule was used with .12 ml. of 64% sucrose. Number of bar-presses and duration of time to reach a 1-min. non-response criterion showed that resistance to extinction was an increasing function of the number of reinforcements during training. However, the amount of time required to reach a 5-min. criterion showed the opposite relationship. It was concluded that different criteria reflected different patterns of extinction behavior and that the overtraining extinction effect (decreased resistance to extinction following extended training) could be demonstrated in a free-operant situation if the appropriate criteria were selected.

Concurrent Water-Drinking on FI and CRF Food-Reinforcement Schedules in the Rhesus Monkey

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1065-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Salzberg ◽  
Wendon W. Henton ◽  
John J. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Rhesus Monkey ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Delay Procedure ◽  
Water Drinking

Concurrent drinking was recorded in 3 rhesus monkeys for 5 sessions in which bar-pressing was maintained on a CRF schedule of food reinforcement and for 10 sessions on an FI 1-min. reinforcement schedule. All Ss showed an increase in water consumption per session on the FI 1-min. schedule. The highest frequency of drinking occurred 30 to 70 sec. post-reinforcement. Due to a 7½-sec. change-over-delay procedure, long bursts of drinking delayed the delivery of over 70% of the FI 1-min. reinforcements for 2 Ss.

Schedule-Induced Polydipsia in the Rhesus Monkey

1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 823-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Schuster ◽  
James H. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Water Intake ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Variable Interval ◽  
Interval Schedule ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Food Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Schedule Change

Four rhesus monkeys were allowed water, which was continuously available on a fixed-ratio 1 (FR-1) schedule of reinforcement, and food, which was available on differing reinforcement schedules. In Exp. 1, water intake greatly increased when the food schedule was changed from continuous reinforcement to a variable-interval schedule. In Exp. 2, when the same schedule change was employed but the number of food reinforcements was held constant, the water intake increased as in Exp. 1. In Exp. 3, a fixed-ratio 25 (FR-25) schedule of food reinforcement was employed in which a total of approximately 80 food pellets were divided among 4, 8, 16, or 24 periods per 24-hr. session. Water intake was related linearly to the increase in the number of food periods. Since water responding took place only after the FR-25 food periods, it was argued that the schedule-induced polydipsia observed was not due to accidental chaining.

Effects of Fixed Ratio Schedules of Reinforcement on Exercise by College Students

2002 ◽  
Vol 94 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1177-1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. Cohen ◽  
Sara Chelland ◽  
Kevin T. Ball ◽  
Linda M. LeMura
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
College Women ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Contingent Reinforcement ◽  
Schedules Of Reinforcement ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
College Age ◽  
Video Clips

Response-contingent reinforcement was expected to increase the time spent riding a stationary exercise cycle by college women. A single-subject experimental design was used. Three college-age women rode a stationary cycle until they were either too tired to continue or until 45 minutes elapsed. Video clips were used to reinforce cycling in the first part of the experiment. Under some conditions, no video clips were presented (baseline). In other conditions, the video was on for the entire session or 25 sec. of video was presented after the completion of FR 40 (40 rotations of the cycle's pedals) or 80 (80 rotations of the cycle's pedals) schedules. In the second part of the experiment, money was presenred following every 20 (FR 20) or 40 (FR 40) rotations of the cycle's pedals. The time spent riding the cycle increased over the baseline when video clips were presented. No consistent differences were observed when the video clips were on for the entire session and when they were presented under FR 40 and FR 80 schedules. For one out of two participants, monetary reward increased the time spent riding the cycle. The data suggest that reinforcement schedules are a means of initiating and maintaining adherence to an exercise program.

Effects of Frequency and Specificity of Information Feedback on Acquisition and Extinction of a Positioning Task

1972 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 567-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga S. Baird ◽  
Glenn H. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Partial Information ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Information Feedback ◽  
Schedules Of Reinforcement ◽  
Coarse Scale ◽  
Resistance To Extinction ◽  
Facilitated Learning

An experiment designed to specify the process similarities of information feedback and reinforcement and to note the interaction of 2 major feedback variables on a simple positioning task. 80 students were randomly divided into 4 groups receiving either 25, 50, 75, or 100% schedules of feedback, analogous to fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. The 4 groups were further divided into 2 subgroups that differed in terms of specificity of feedback. Results indicated that when all Ss were provided the same number of feedbacks, the groups did not differ during acquisition. Groups with partial information feedback demonstrated greater resistance to extinction. The coarse-scale treatment facilitated learning but had no effect during extinction. There was no interaction between frequency and specificity of information.

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