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CLASSICAL AVOIDANCE WITHOUT A WARNING STIMULUS
Author(s) -
Sidman Murray
Publication year - 1962
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.1962.5-97
Subject(s) - lever , stimulus (psychology) , avoidance learning , psychology , reinforcement , avoidance response , avoidance behaviour , shock (circulatory) , audiology , neuroscience , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics
White rats were scheduled to be shocked every 15 sec; but they were given a limited time interval between shocks when they could prevent the next scheduled shock from occurring if they pressed a lever. The duration of this limited avoidance period was varied, as was its location within the interval between scheduled shocks. Response rate, shock frequency, and the temporal distribution of lever presses were examined. Conditions were generated in which the formation of a temporal discrimination prevented the animals from maintaining successful avoidance behavior.