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TEMPORAL DISCRIMINATION LEARNING OF OPERANT FEEDING IN GOLDFISH (CARASSIUS AURATUS)
Author(s) -
Gee Philip,
Stephenson David,
Wright Donald E.
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.62-1
Subject(s) - carassius auratus , operant conditioning , extinction (optical mineralogy) , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , reinforcement , period (music) , psychology , food delivery , fish <actinopterygii> , discrimination learning , audiology , communication , developmental psychology , biology , artificial intelligence , social psychology , computer science , medicine , physics , fishery , acoustics , business , paleontology , marketing
Operant temporal discrimination learning was investigated in goldfish. In the first experiment, there was a fixed daily change in illumination. Eight subjects were trained to operate a lever that reinforced each press with food. The period during which responses were reinforced was then progressively reduced until it was 1 hr in every 24. The final 1‐hr feeding schedule was maintained over 4 weeks. The feeding period commenced at the same time each day throughout. The food dispensers were then made inactive, and a period of extinction ensued for 6 days. The pattern of responding suggested that the fish were able to exhibit temporal discrimination in anticipation of feeding time. This pattern of responding persisted for a limited number of days during the extinction procedure. The second experiment produced evidence that operant temporal discrimination could develop under continuous illumination.