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FREE OPERANT AVOIDANCE AS A FUNCTION OF THE RESPONSE‐SHOCK = SHOCK‐SHOCK INTERVAL 1
Author(s) -
Clark Fogle C.,
Hull Larry D.
Publication year - 1966
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.1966.9-641
Subject(s) - shock (circulatory) , interval (graph theory) , shock response spectrum , mathematics , medicine , physics , combinatorics , classical mechanics , acceleration
Two temporal parameters of free operant or Sidman avoidance behavior are the interval by which responses postpone shocks (Response‐Shock interval) and the interval between shocks when no responses occur (Shock‐Shock interval). Avoidance behavior was examined in three white rats under conditions where the Response‐Shock and Shock‐Shock intervals were always equal. With intervals from 10 to 60 sec response rates and shock rates were similar, decreasing, negatively accelerated functions of increasing Response‐Shock = Shock‐Shock interval. Over this range, response and shock rates were linearly related to the reciprocal of the Response‐Shock = Shock‐Shock interval. It was shown, however, that this relation cannot hold at extremely long intervals. Both the ratio of responses emitted to shocks received and the percentage of shocks possible which were avoided increased at long Response‐Shock = Shock‐Shock intervals. These findings may be related to the fact that long intervals provide optimal conditions for conditioning avoidance behavior in the rat.