ICS reinforcement of DRL behavior in the rat

Free operant DRL performance maintained by a single electrical brain stimulation reinforcement

“…in order to approximate closely a conventional reinforeement. The results of the present investigation, while extending the work of Brown & Trowill (1970) and Owens & Brown (1968), imply that multielement behavioral ehains terminating in multiple ESB reinforeements are not neeessary for the examination of the eomparability of ESB and eonventional reinforeers.…”

“…Recent investigations (Gibson, Reid, Sokai, & Porter, 1965;Panksepp & Trowill, 1967;Pliskoff, Wright, & Hawkins, 1965;Pliskoff & Hawkins, 1967;Owens & Brown, 1968) have compared schedule behavior maintained by conventional reinforcers (food, sugar water, ete.) with schedule behavior maintained by electrical brain stimulation (ESB).…”

“…These results would indicate that a multielement behavioral chain is not a necessary condition for the comparability of ESB and conventional reinforcers. Likewise, Owens & Brown (1968) have questioned the necessity of delivering multiple ESB reinforcements for the completion of a DRL schedule in a two-element chain consisting of a response to a touch button followed by the licking of a dry dipper. These investigators re port that DRL performance up to a maximum of 120 sec on the touch button was maintained by a single lick-contingent ESB reinforcement.…”

Acquisition of leverpressing without experimenter assistance by rats on differential reinforcement of low-rate schedules

“…Bursts refer to sequences of very short responding. Bursts have been ' reported with short th rough long DRL values (Owens & Brown, 1968 ;Sidman , 1956) . Bursts in the present experim ent are shown in the cumulative records.…”