An apparatus allow.ing a rat's drinking response to terminate shock or deliver food is descr.ibed. The system is constructed of commercial components and is sensitive to the intermittent, but regular, signal generated by a rat :in the act of drinking. Notes 1. The apparatus described here was developed in association with research supported under MH 11895-01. 2. The second author is now at the University of Oklahoma.
Experimental attempts to establish in laboratory rats a behavior pattern analogous to human alcoholism have generally reaped negative results. Temporary increases in alcohol consumption have been achieved repeatedly (Senter & Sinclair, 1967;Senter, Smith, & Lewin, 1967;Myers, 1966), but the establishment of chroniC, autonomous, maladaptive alcohol consumption is so rare that McConnell & Clay (1963) have questioned whether mammals lower than man are susceptible to the development of such behavior patterns. An exception to this trend has been reported by Richter (1957). While this researcher reported repeated failure to addict domestic laboratory rats, he succeeded in "addicting two fierce, aggressive wild rats trapped from the streets. This was done by restricting fluid intakes to a 20% solution of alcohol over a period of six months. When given a choice of food, water and a 20% solution of alcohol, these rats gradually ate less food, drank less plain water, and more alcohol. As a result they progressively lost weight and finally died" (p. 218). The present research was undertaken to investigate more systematically the observation made by Richter. MethodTwenty wild pack rats (Genus Neotoma), captured in Arizona, and 16 domestic hooded rats were continuously exposed to standard laboratory rat chow and a 20% (V IV) alcohol solution for 20 weeks. Subsequent to this exposure period, both groups were given rat chow, a 20% alcohol solution, and water for nine weeks. Consumption of alcohol solution was recorded daily throughout the 20 week exposure period and the nine week choice period. Weekly mean consumption of alcohol solution in ml for each S was established for data analysis.
The most difficult kind of argument to perpetuate is one in which the discussants have no disagreement. From these writers' viewpoint such is the case here. Nonetheless, protocol prescribes
Estes ' (1959) Mathematical models are at times presented with the implication that they apply to complex verbal learning (Estes, 1964). Actual evidence for such application is scarce, for applications of these models are usually restricted to two-choice situations in which the population of stimuli is constant and all stimuli have an equal probability of being sampled on the first trial. In the present study, a modification of Estes' linear stimulus sampling model (1959) was employed as a predictor of poetry learning.The linear stimulus sampling model theoretically falls far short of applicability to complex verbal learning. Despite its restrictions, however, it has two advantages over most other models. One of these advantages is that it is simple. In the function(1) the probability of a response on trial n + 1 is expressed in terms of response probability on trial n, and in terms of 0, a parameter with a value between 0 and 1.The second advantage is that the model seems rugged enough to stand various violations of its assumptions and yet to retain predictive power. This point is illustrated in its present application.The linear stimulus sampling model can be simplified further if the assumption is made that the response probability Po of a hypothetical trial No. 0 equals O. From this assumption it would follow that PI =(J and (2) This equation permits prediction of performance on trial n on the basis of PI only. MethodAs a part of a larger experiment, 68 students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at the University of Cincinnati were given the task of learning a 64-word selection from E. A. Poe's Tamerlain. All Ss were initially unfamiliar with the poem. A test booklet consisting of 25 identical sheets with the poem written on the upper half was provided. On the lower half of each sheet underlined spaces proportional to the lengths of the words comprising the poem were presented. The upper half of each sheet was covered by an opaque overlay
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