Secondary self-punitive behavior: Effects of periodic punishment of Sidman avoidance by a Pavlovian CS+

Abstract

Seven naive rats were trained on Sidman avoidance. Following adaptation to 3-sec response-contingent light presentations, Ss reeeived alternate days of VI 3-sec classical conditioning in which the light was paired with shock. During testing, the unreinforced light es was response produced during short periods of the avoidance sessions. Acceleration of avoidance ("secondary" self-punitive behavior) resulted during these periods, Pavlovian extinction resulted in its rapid attenuation, and Pavlovian reconditioning produced immediate recovery. An interresponse time analysis of the secondary punishment periods revealed that mean IRTs increase linearly as a function of the number of previously punished responses, suggesting that the phenomenon is sufficiently delicate that response suppression would probably result if the punishment periods were prolonged.

Warm-up effects in free-operant avoidance in a shuttlebox

“…Hineline (1966) found that allowing the animals to avoid by lever holding instead of by repeated pressing produced some reduction in the warmup, but did not eliminate it entirely. On the other hand, Reiss and his colleagues have carried out several experiments with a free-operant shuttle response, finding very quick acquisition, and virtually no warm-up effects (e.g., Martin & Riess, 1969 ;Riess, 1970). Riess and Farrar (1972) documented these features with detailed data.…”