Avoidance of timeout from response-independent food: effects of delivery rate and quality.
In three experiments, a rat's lever presses could postpone timeouts from food pellets delivered on response-independent schedules. In Experiment 1, the pellets were delivered at variable-time (VT) rates ranging from VT 0.5 to VT 8 min. Experiment 2 replicated the VT 1 min and VT 8 min conditions of Experiment 1 with new subjects. Finally, subjects in Experiment 3 could postpone timeouts from delivery of pellets that differed in quality rather than quantity (unsweetened versus sweetened pellets). In general, response rates and success in avoiding increased as a function of the rate and quality of the pellets. Also, performance efficiency increased as the experiments progressed, that is, the avoidance response occurred later and later in the response-timeout interval. The results support the conclusion that timeout from reinforcement has functional properties similar to those of more commonly studied aversive stimuli (e.g., shock).
Richardson
Joseph V
JV
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. jvr@uwm.edu
Baron
Alan
A
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology