Instrumental escape conditioning in a water tank: Effects of constant reinforcement at different levels of drive stimulus intensity.

Woods, Paul J.; Holland, Charles H.

doi:10.1037/h0023948

Cited by 15 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…In studies in which Re systematically changed but k did not, the experimenter manipulated deprivation conditions or aspects of the reinforcer, such as amount (Bradshaw et al 1978;Bradshaw et al 1983b;Conrad and Sidman 1956;Logan 1960;Guttman 1954;Kraeling 1961;Woods and Holland 1964;see deVilliers and Herrnstein 1976 for a summary of the experiments published before 1976). For example, increasing hours of deprivation decreased Re in a study in which rats ran down a runway for food reward (Logan 1960; also see deVilliers and Herrnstein 1976).…”

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confidence: 99%

Chlorpromazine and pimozide alter reinforcement efficacy and motor performance

1986

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This study evaluated the effects of chlorpromazine and pimozide on reinforced responding. In each session, rats were exposed to a series of five variable-interval reinforcement schedules. The response requirement was a lever press, the reward was a small portion of water, and the reinforcement rate varied from about 20 to 660 reinforcers per hour. Response rate was a negatively accelerated function of reinforcement rate, and the relationship between the two variables was described by the equation for a rectangular hyperbola (the matching law). One parameter of the hyperbola is equivalent to the asymptotic response rate and the other parameter is equivalent to the rate of reinforcement that maintains a one-half asymptotic response rate. Chlorpromazine (0.75-3.0 mg/kg) and pimozide (0.1-0.4 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rates. At low doses, the response rate decreases were, for the most part, restricted to the low reinforcement rate schedules. In contrast, the highest dose tested decreased response rates at both low and high reinforcement rates. The patterns of response rate decreases resulted in dose-dependent changes in the parameters of the matching law equation. The shifts in the matching law parameters were discussed in terms of the motoric and motivational interpretations of neuroleptic-induced response rate changes.

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confidence: 99%

Chlorpromazine and pimozide alter reinforcement efficacy and motor performance

1986

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“…Variations in water temperature have been demonstrated to be an effective means for manipulating drive stimulus intensity and reinforcement magnitude in escape conditioning (Woods, Davidson, & Peters, 1964;Woods & Schutz, 1965;Woods & Feldman, 1966;Woods & Holland, 1966). As an adjunct to this research with animals, it would be useful to have this noxious stimulus dimension scaled in various ways by human Ss , But first, at an even more basic level, the actual skin-surface temperature which leads to the psychological sensations should be studied.…”

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confidence: 99%

Human responses to various conditions of water temperature

Woods

Griffith

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et al. 1967

Perception & Psychophysics

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EXPOSURE TIME (SEC.) Two water baths were prepared, one at 320C and the other at the exposure temperature to be studied. The water temperature in each bath was controlled automatically by a constant temperature circulator which maintained the temperature within ±O.loC of any desired level. ProcedureAll measurements were taken from the palmar surface of the hand in the region of Palmaris brevis muscle. Prior to exposure the hand was immersed in the 32 0C bath until its temperature stabilized at this level. The hand was then dried and immersed to the wrist in the exposure tank and moved back and forth to prevent a local warming of the bath. The exposure time was measured by a stopwatch, and following the given exposure time the hand was removed, quickly dried at the site to be measured to avoid having the data influenced by evaporation, and the probe was maintained in contact with the site until the temperature had returned to normal. The ambient air temperature in the laboratory averaged 23. 7 0C with a standard deviation of l.06 0 C over all sessions. Three separate measurements were obtained in each of six different exposure times ranging from 5 to 60 sec. at temperature conditions ranging from 10 0 to 40 0C.Variations in water temperature have been demonstrated to be an effective means for manipulating drive stimulus intensity and reinforcement magnitude in escape conditioning (Woods, Davidson, & Peters, 1964;Woods & Schutz, 1965;Woods & Feldman, 1966;Woods & Holland, 1966). As an adjunct to this research with animals, it would be useful to have this noxious stimulus dimension scaled in various ways by human Ss , But first, at an even more basic level, the actual skin-surface temperature which leads to the psychological sensations should be studied. Therefore, Experiment I deals with the determination of skin-surface temperature immediately following various exposure temperatures and times. Then, in ExperimentII,human Ss attached verbal labels to various temperatures following two exposure times and also rated their sensations on scales of pain and comfort. SubjectsAll measurements were taken from the hand of one human female (P. M. R.). ApparatusAn electronic thermometer (YSI Model 46TUC) equipped with a banjo thermistor probe was used to take the readings and the output was run into a Beckman potentiometric recorder so that a continuous record of temperature change over time was obtained. The calibration of the electronic thermometer was checked against a standardized thermometer from the National Bureau of standards.

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“…Adaptation effects which would lower the effective drive intensity in the escape situation, then, were not present, but prior exposure to a warmer condition did serve to increase the ecfective drive level. The absence of adaptation effects is related to similar findings with electric shock.The use of aversive stimuli for manipulating motivation and reward as well as punishment in basic learning research is increasing (Ch~uch, 1963;Woods, 1966". For the purpose of analyzing behavioral phenomena, stimuli of this class have many advantages over the complex internal states produced by the more traditional techniques of food and water deprivation. With external aversive stimuli, the conditions determining motivation and reward are under much greater control and can be more ~eadily specified.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The use of aversive stimuli for manipulating motivation and reward as well as punishment in basic learning research is increasing (Ch~uch, 1963;Woods, 1966". For the purpose of analyzing behavioral phenomena, stimuli of this class have many advantages over the complex internal states produced by the more traditional techniques of food and water deprivation. With external aversive stimuli, the conditions determining motivation and reward are under much greater control and can be more ~eadily specified.…”

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“…In recent years a research program has been pursued using a water escape apparatus (see, for example, Woods, Davidson, & Peters, 1964;Woods & Holland, 1966;Woods, in press). While it is doubtful that adaptation is a serious problem due to the short time to which S is exposed to the aversive stimulus, it is nevertheless important to determine whether there are effects and, if so, of what magnitude.…”

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Adaptation to the Drive Stimulus in Instrumental Escape Conditioning

Woods

1967

Psychol Rep

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S~~nzmary.-In order to ascertain whether training conditions are complicated by adaptation effects in a water-escape situation rats ( N = 96) were exposed for 1 0 or 100 sec. to 15" or 32" C prior to each escape trial from a 15" C tank. Compared ro a non-exposed control condition over-all performance of the 15" C exposed groups was unaffected, bur the performance of the 32" C exposed groups was significantly ( p < .0005) enhanced. Adaptation effects which would lower the effective drive intensity in the escape situation, then, were not present, but prior exposure to a warmer condition did serve to increase the ecfective drive level. The absence of adaptation effects is related to similar findings with electric shock.The use of aversive stimuli for manipulating motivation and reward as well as punishment in basic learning research is increasing (Ch~uch, 1963;Woods, 1966". For the purpose of analyzing behavioral phenomena, stimuli of this class have many advantages over the complex internal states produced by the more traditional techniques of food and water deprivation. With external aversive stimuli, the conditions determining motivation and reward are under much greater control and can be more ~eadily specified. The level of motivation is concrolled by the intensity of [he aversive drive-stimulus, and reward magnitude is determined by the degree to which this drive-stimulus intensity is reduced. In escape conditioning, then, the motivational level can be readily reestablished on repeated occasions even with large rewards and massed trials, a condition which is totally impossible with the appetitive situation. Further advantages are that (1) magnitude of reward can be manipulated over a much greater range, ( 2 ) consummatory time is not confounded with magnitude of reward, ( 3 ) adapcation effects can be ascertained, and ( 4 ) the unconditioned response hierarchy can be determined so that learning effects can be assessed against a knowledge of initial response strength.The present paper addresses one of these points, that of the adapcation to the intensity of the drive-stimulus. So far repeated exposure to electric shock has been the major object of study (Miller, 1960;Karsh, 1963;Church, LoLordo, Overmier, Solomon, s: Turner, 1966), and the problem has never really been studied in appetitive conditioning although, with difficulty, it could be. When an animal is run over a number of days with, say, 22-hr. food deprivation or 85%

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Instrumental escape conditioning in a water tank: Effects of constant reinforcement at different levels of drive stimulus intensity.

Cited by 15 publications

References 5 publications

Chlorpromazine and pimozide alter reinforcement efficacy and motor performance

Chlorpromazine and pimozide alter reinforcement efficacy and motor performance

Human responses to various conditions of water temperature

Adaptation to the Drive Stimulus in Instrumental Escape Conditioning

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