Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1972 Jul;18(1):1–12. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.18-1

Two temporal parameters of food postponement1

James B Smith, Fogle C Clark
PMCID: PMC1333979  PMID: 16811605

Abstract

Rats were trained to press a lever under schedules of food postponement. In the absence of lever presses, food was delivered periodically (food-food interval). Responses initiated a second interval (response-food interval) that was reset by each additional response. Performance was first studied at different response-food intervals with the food-food interval fixed at 30 or 60 sec, or 10 min. Response-food intervals were examined in ascending order and then recovery was studied at shorter intervals. Finally, the food-food interval was manipulated with response-food interval fixed at 30 sec. At food-food intervals of 30 and 60 sec, responding first increased and then decreased as the response-food interval increased. At the 10-min food-food interval, responding decreased with increasing response-food interval. In general, very low rates of responding occurred when the response-food interval was 60 sec or more and when it equalled or exceeded the food-food interval. However, responding was maintained in one animal when the food-food interval was decreased from 120 to 15 sec with the response-food interval at 30 sec. Results, in terms of several dependent variables, are compared with data on shock avoidance. Effects of response-independent and response-produced food and shock are discussed.

Full text

PDF
12

Selected References

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

  1. Clark F. C., Hull L. D. Free operant avoidance as a function of the response-shock = shock-shock interval. J Exp Anal Behav. 1966 Nov;9(6):641–647. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1966.9-641. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DEWS P. B. Free-operant behavior under conditions of delayed reinforcement. I. CRF-type schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1960 Jul;3:221–234. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1960.3-221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DINSMOOR J. A. Punishment. I. The avoidance hypothesis. Psychol Rev. 1954 Jan;61(1):34–46. doi: 10.1037/h0062725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HERRNSTEIN R. J., MORSE W. H. Some effects of response-independent positive reinforcement on maintained operant behavior. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1957 Oct;50(5):461–467. doi: 10.1037/h0041506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HERRNSTEIN R. J., SIDMAN M. Avoidance conditioning as a factor in the effects of unavoidable shocks on food-reinforced behavior. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1958 Jun;51(3):380–385. doi: 10.1037/h0038487. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Herrnstein R. J., Hineline P. N. Negative reinforcement as shock-frequency reduction. J Exp Anal Behav. 1966 Jul;9(4):421–430. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1966.9-421. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KELLEHER R. T., RIDDLE W. C., COOK L. PERSISTENT BEHAVIOR MAINTAINED BY UNAVOIDABLE SHOCKS. J Exp Anal Behav. 1963 Oct;6:507–517. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1963.6-507. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kelleher R. T., Morse W. H. Determinants of the specificity of behavioral effects of drugs. Ergeb Physiol. 1968;60:1–56. doi: 10.1007/BFb0107250. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kelleher R. T., Morse W. H. Schedules using noxious stimuli. III. Responding maintained with response-produced electric shocks. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Nov;11(6):819–838. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-819. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McKearney J. W. Fixed-interval schedules of electric shock presentation: extinction and recovery of performance under different shock intensities and fixed-interval durations. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Mar;12(2):301–313. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McKearney J. W. Maintenance of responding under a fixed-interval schedule of electric shock-presentation. Science. 1968 Jun 14;160(3833):1249–1251. doi: 10.1126/science.160.3833.1249. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McKearney J. W. Responding under fixed-ratio and multiple fixed-interval fixed-ratio schedules of electric shock presentation. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Jul;14(1):1–6. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.14-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SIDMAN M. Avoidance conditioning with brief shock and no exteroceptive warning signal. Science. 1953 Aug 7;118(3058):157–158. doi: 10.1126/science.118.3058.157. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SIDMAN M. Two temporal parameters of the maintenance of avoidance behavior by the white rat. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1953 Aug;46(4):253–261. doi: 10.1037/h0060730. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Zeiler M. D. Fixed and variable schedules of response-independent reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Jul;11(4):405–414. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES