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. 1971 Jan;15(1):97–108. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1971.15-97

Signal functions in discriminated avoidance behavior1

R M Gilbert
PMCID: PMC1333786  PMID: 5547285

Abstract

Four rats were trained to lever press under a discriminated avoidance/escape schedule in which separately signalled safe and warning periods were 100 sec and 32 sec respectively. The auditory and not the visual component of the compound warning signal became associated with the discriminative control of lever pressing. Avoidance behavior also came under temporal control, in that the probability of lever pressing increased as the warning period progressed. Timing began with the onset of the warning signal rather than the offset of the safe signal. However, after the warning signal had been progressively eliminated, timing began with the offset of the safe signal. When neither signal was normally available, the temporal distribution of avoidance behavior changed markedly. Drifts in the temporal distribution of lever pressing occurred throughout the study; these were manipulated for two animals.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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