Excitatory and inhibitory effects of free reinforcers

Deluty, Marvin Z.

doi:10.3758/bf03214436

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…mans' button pressing (Madden & Perone, 2003), rats' lever pressing (Deluty, 1976;Rescorla & Skucy, 1969), and pigeons' key pecking (e.g., Boakes, 1973;Imam & Lattal, 1988;Lattal & Abreu-Rodrigues, 1997;Rachlin & Baum, 1972).…”

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confidence: 99%

Economic and Biological Influences on Key Pecking and Treadle Pressing in Pigeons

Green¹,

Holt²

2003

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Pigeons were studied on a two-component multiple schedule in which the required operant was, in different conditions, biologically relevant (i.e., key pecking) or nonbiologically relevant (i.e., treadle pressing). Responding was reinforced on a variable-interval (VI) 2-min schedule in both components. In separate phases, additional food was delivered on a variable-time (VT) 15-s schedule (response independent) or a VI 15-s schedule (response dependent) in one of the components. The addition of response-independent food had different effects on responding depending on the operant response and on the frequency with which the components alternated. When components alternated frequently (every 10 s), all pigeons keypecked at a much higher rate during the component with the additional food deliveries, whether response dependent or independent. In comparison, treadle pressing was elevated only when the additional food was response dependent; rate of treadling was lower when the additional food was response independent. When components alternated infrequently (every 20 min), pigeons key pecked at high rates at points of transition into the component with the additional food deliveries. Rate of key pecking decreased with time spent in the 20-min component when the additional food was response independent, whereas rate of pecking remained elevated in that component when the additional food was response dependent. Under otherwise identical test conditions, rate of treadle pressing varied only as a function of its relative rate of response-dependent reinforcement. Delivery of response-independent food thus had different, but predictable, effects on responding depending on which operant was being studied, suggesting that animal-learning procedures can be integrated with biological considerations without the need to propose constraints that limit general laws of learning.Key words: biological effect, economic effect, contingent reinforcement, multiple schedule, response-independent food, response-dependent food, treadle press, key peck, pigeon Herrnstein's (1970) equation states that response rate varies as a function of its relative rate of reinforcement. Stated formally,c c ewhere R is rate of responding, r c is the rate of response-dependent food delivery, k is a constant representing asymptotic rate of responding, and r e is the rate of extraneous reinforcement. Extraneous reinforcement includes concurrently scheduled, dependent reinforcement, as well as response-independent food delivery and reinforcement from other alternatives (Herrnstein, 1970). It follows from Equation 1 that an increase in response-independent food delivery (r e ) would decrease the overall rate of responding (R). Indeed, response-independent food delivery generally decreases the overall rate of hu-

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confidence: 99%

Economic and Biological Influences on Key Pecking and Treadle Pressing in Pigeons

Green¹,

Holt²

2003

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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“…One laboratory example of such an effect is the local rate-enhancing effect of "free" food del i very in rats responding for food as the reinforcer (Del uty, 1976). Rats were trained to respond on a random interval schedul e for food pellets, and then additional food pellets were delivered noncontingently at fixed or random times.…”

Section: Priming Effects Of Reinforcers Other Than Drugsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reinstatement of Drug-Taking Behavior as a Method of Assessing Incentive Motivational Properties of Drugs

Stewart

Wit

1987

Methods of Assessing the Reinforcing Properties of Abused Drugs

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106

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“…Brimer (1972) and others have noted that rate of an operant response can be altered by noncontingent presentations of extraneous novel stimuli. Generally, rate of maintained responding decreases during the stimuli (Deluty, 1976;Hearst, Franklin, & Mueller, 1974); however, when responding is already depressed by the operant contingency, acceleration is likely (e.g., Boakes & Halliday, 1975;Brimer & Kamin, 1963;Contrucci, Hothersall, gc Wickens, 1971;DeNoble & Caplan, 1977;Flanagen & Webb, 1964). These effects are analogous to the nonassociative phenomena of external inhibition and disinhibition in classical conditioning.…”

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confidence: 99%

Conditional Acceleration and External Disinhibition of Operant Lever Pressing by Prereward, Neutral, and Reinforcing Stimuli

Hemmes¹,

Rubinsky²

1982

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Rats responding under a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule increased their rates of lever pressing during a 20-second click/flash stimulus that preceded the delivery of a response-independent food pellet. The increase could not be attributed to suppression of collateral behavior that has been said to mediate temporally-spaced responding. We propose that the prereward stimulus functioned as an external disinhibitor of lever pressing that had been inhibited by the constraints of the operant schedule. Support is derived from the observed disinhibitory effects of a 10-second unpaired click/flash stimulus and of unsignaled, response-independent pellets that were presented while the animals were responding under the same schedule.Key words: conditional acceleration, response-independent reinforcement, disinhibition, collateral behavior, differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate, lever press, rats When prefood or preshock stimuli are presented to an animal that is engaged in operant responding, the animal's rate of responding often shows sharp changes. The most frequently observed outcome is a decrease in rate of responding (conditional suppression). However, when responding is maintained by a differential-reinforcement-of-low rate (DRL) schedule, conditional acceleration is frequently observed. For example, Henton and Brady (1970) found that rhesus monkeys responded more rapidly under DRL schedules during a prefood stimulus. Kelly (1973) also found conditional acceleration in rhesus monkeys under similar conditions. However, when the same monkeys were exposed to the prefood stimulus while responding under a random-ratio (RR) schedule, response rate during the signal decreased. Blackman (1968)

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Excitatory and inhibitory effects of free reinforcers

Cited by 15 publications

References 9 publications

Economic and Biological Influences on Key Pecking and Treadle Pressing in Pigeons

Economic and Biological Influences on Key Pecking and Treadle Pressing in Pigeons

Reinstatement of Drug-Taking Behavior as a Method of Assessing Incentive Motivational Properties of Drugs

Conditional Acceleration and External Disinhibition of Operant Lever Pressing by Prereward, Neutral, and Reinforcing Stimuli

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