Free operant single and double alternation in the albino rat: A demonstration

Abstract

This experiment assessed the ability of rats to learn uncued free operant single-and double-alternation tasks. Each of six male albino rats was trained to single and double alternate responses between two levers in an operant conditioning chamber. All rats. quickly mastered the single-alternation task. Accuracy improved with increased double-alternation training and was above the level predicted by chance. However. double-alternation accuracy was higher when extra responses were allowed (e.g.• LLLRR was reinforced as was LLRR). The rats in this experiment were totally unable to perform two correct double alternations in sequence (i.e., LLRRLLRR or RRLLRRLL).

The Effects of Interval Duration on Temporal Tracking and Alternation Learning

“…Under other conditions, pigeons are able to learn an alternation sequence. A classic body of comparative research has explored the performance of many species (including rats, pigeons, cats, dogs, raccoons, rabbits, monkeys, and human children) on both the singleand the closely-related double-alternation problems (Hearst, 1962;Hunter, 1918Hunter, , 1920Hunter, , 1928Khavari, 1970;Livesey, 1965Livesey, , 1969Travis-Neideffer, Neideffer, & Davis, 1982;B. A. Williams, 1971aB.…”

Visual alternation by pigeons: Learning to select or learning to avoid

“…Virtually all of the research on alternation learning by animals has been done with rats and pigeons. Although there is considerable evidence that both rats and pigeons can learn a spatial single alternation task (Boutros et al, 2011;Hearst, 1962;Kundey & Rowan, 2009;Travis-Neideffer et al, 1982), there has been little research on single alternation learning of visual stimuli with rats. The difficulty of the visual alternation task likely results from the fact that the felt position of the animal's body cannot serve as a spatial cue to make the next response.…”

“…If responding to one stimulus has just been reinforced, on the next trial, subjects must learn not to repeat responding to that stimulus. If the stimuli involved in this task are spatially defined (e.g., choose left, then choose right) subjects can use their postural orientation as a cue to select the other stimulus (Boutros et al, 2011;Hearst, 1962;Kundey & Rowan, 2009;Travis-Neideffer et al, 1982). If the stimuli are nonspatial, and they vary in location from trial to trial, the use of location cues would not be useful.…”