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A PROGRAMMING CIRCUIT FOR SELF‐STIMULATION OF THE BRAIN
Author(s) -
Smith Charles J.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-196
Subject(s) - computer science , citation , cognitive science , information retrieval , world wide web , psychology
Electrical stimulation of the brain as both positive and negative reinforcement is a growing adjunct to the analysis of animal behavior. Olds and Milner (1954) have described the techniques of electrode implantation in the rat, but little has been said about equipment for programming the stimuli. The basic requirements, as determined by experimenters in this area, may be described as follows. For positive reinforcement, the rat receives electrical stimulation for as long as it depresses a bar, but not longer than about 0.5-1 second. The rat must release the bar and depress it a second time to get additional current. When negative reinforcement is used, the stimulus is delivered to the brain unless the rat depresses the lever. Two possible alternatives arise at this point: Either the current is held off until the rat releases the lever, or it is held off for only a short interval, after which the rat must press the bar a second time. Since the pieces of apparatus usually found around the laboratory do not appear to be ideally suited to the outlined program, the device described here was designed and constructed chiefly for classroom demonstrations. By judicious shopping for parts, the total. cost was held to under twenty dollars. The circuit diagram indicates a double pathway through the relay and switch contacts, so that a signal lamp (or counters and timers) may readily be placed in Circuit B. Because partial-reinforcement schedules are not often used, this feature has not been included; conventional arrangements may easily be wired into the lever circuit. Stimulus currents of various waveforms are introduced through Input A. Operation is as follows. With Switch 2 in "initiate" (up) position, depression of the bar allows the stimulating current to flow until (a) the bar is released, or (b) the thyratron fires (after a delay determined by C and R4), whichever is first. Release of the lever recycles the programmer so it is immediately ready for another sequence. With Switch 2 in "discontinue" (down) posiL OUT-A