Effects of an informational stimulus on the acquisition of avoidance behavior in rats.

Bolles, Robert C.; Grossen, Neal E.

doi:10.1037/h0027677

Cited by 108 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The present results, on the other hand, do not demonstrate a summative effect of the feedback and WST contingencies as reported by Bolles and Grossen (1969 , Experiment 3), and in this regard are in agreement with Katzev and Hendersen's (1971, Experiment 1) results. This pattern of acquisition results is consistent with the assertion by Bolles and Grossen (1969) that the WST and extrinsic feedback contingencies are functionally equivalent in establishing the avoidance response.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…These resuits, obtained with gerbils in shuttle avoidance, are consistent with those reported for rats in both shuttle-and running-wheel avoidance (Bolles & Grossen, 1969), as well as in barpress avoidance (O'Amato et aI., 1968). The present results, on the other hand, do not demonstrate a summative effect of the feedback and WST contingencies as reported by Bolles and Grossen (1969 , Experiment 3), and in this regard are in agreement with Katzev and Hendersen's (1971, Experiment 1) results.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Such formulations (e.g., Bolles & Grossen, 1969) have stressed that the traditional warning signal termination (WST) contingency, emphasized within two-factor theory as providing reinforcement for the avoidance response via fear reduction, might be better conceptualized as providing information to the subject. When a subject performs the instrumental avoidance act, several responsecontingent stimulus changes, exteroceptive and interoceptive, may serve as sources of feedback (e.g., WST) and proprioceptive feedback from the response.…”

Section: Effects Of Feedback On Discriminative Avoidance Acquisition mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of feedback on discriminative avoidance acquisition and extinction in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Galvani

1977

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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An exteroceptive feedback stimulus (FS) consequent upon an avoidance response was found functionally equivalent to the traditional warning signal termination (WST) contingency in reinforcing shuttlebox avoidance in the Mongolian gerbil. Thus, presentation of an FS in acquisition led to successful avoidance learning even in the absence of immediate WST, while no evidence of summation of the FS and WST contingencies was obtained. In extinction, relatively abrupt loss of responding was observed regardless of the programmed consequences of an avoidance response. These results were discussed in terms of an informational hypothesis of avoidance behavior, especially with respect to the notion of redundancy of information.One recent challenge to the traditional two-factor theory (Mowrer, 1947) interpretation of discriminative avoidance learning has been based on the Significance of response-produced feedback in avoidance learning. Such formulations (e.g., Bolles & Grossen, 1969) have stressed that the traditional warning signal termination (WST) contingency, emphasized within two-factor theory as providing reinforcement for the avoidance response via fear reduction, might be better conceptualized as providing information to the subject. When a subject performs the instrumental avoidance act, several responsecontingent stimulus changes, exteroceptive and interoceptive, may serve as sources of feedback (e.g., WST) and proprioceptive feedback from the response. Anyone of these response-contingent stimulus changes might be viewed as signaling successful shock avoidance, and it is the informational value of such stimulus changes that is functionally significant in the acquisition and maintenance of the avoidance response. Studies of the effects of exteroceptive feedback stimuli (FS) on avoidance acquisition have lent support to this cognitive, informational hypothesis by demonstrating that presentation of an FS consequent upon the avoidance response leads to successful avoidance learning, even in the absence of the WST contingency (Bower, Starr, & Lazarovitz, 1965; D'Amato, Fazzaro, & Etkin, 1968;Keehn & Nakkash, 1959). Such data suggest that the most important function of the WST contingency is that it provides information to the subject about the consequences of responding.As Katzev and Hendersen (1971) have demonstrated,The present research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant B043556-001, awarded to the author. The author thanks Michael Twitty for comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Reprints may be obtained from the author, Department of Psychology, State University College at Brockport, Brockport, New York 14420.however, the efficacy of a response-contingent FS does not appear to be independent of the WST contingency. These authors found that if immediate WST was programmed in acquisition, then the exteroceptive FS failed to control behavior. They reasoned that when both FS and WST are response contingent, the FS is a redundant source of information; its presentation provides no information ...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Effects Of Feedback On Discriminative Avoidance Acquisition mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of feedback on discriminative avoidance acquisition and extinction in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Galvani

1977

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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“…Studies of the factors controlling the acquisition of free-operant avoidance have become available only recently (Leaf, 1966;Bolles & Grossen, 1969;Hurwitz, Harzem, & Kulig, 1970). Among the few factors so far identified is the availability of a feedback stimulus, that is, a stimulus that is contingent on a response.…”

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confidence: 99%

Extinction of free-operant avoidance with and without feedback

1970

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Extinction of free-operant avoidance behavior of rats was studied under conditions in which a response either resulted in a response-contingent event (feedback) or had no scheduled consequence. Probes and the original conditions of training were alternated. The time to reach the criterion of extinction and the number of responses in extinction were greater when a feedback stimulus was available. Cyclic patterns of responding were observed during both free-operant avoidance and extinction.

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“…Recently Bower et al (1965) showed in rats that when an auditory stimulus as CS was decreased in intensity following a conditioned response, the avoidance learning was facilitated. To explain these phenomena, Bolles and Grossen (1969) extended the stimulus-change hypothesis in such a way that an information on a stimulus change contingent upon the response, both intrinsic and extrinsic, was fed-back to subjects and acted as a reinforcing factor.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Control of Timing Behavior by Contingent Photic Stimulation in Cats

Uramoto

1972

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

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Effects of an informational stimulus on the acquisition of avoidance behavior in rats.

Cited by 108 publications

References 12 publications

Effects of feedback on discriminative avoidance acquisition and extinction in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Effects of feedback on discriminative avoidance acquisition and extinction in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Extinction of free-operant avoidance with and without feedback

Control of Timing Behavior by Contingent Photic Stimulation in Cats

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