Journal article
Stimulus change dishabituates operant responding supported by water reinforcers
Behavioural processes, Vol.70(3), pp.235-246
2005
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/116581
PMID: 16112816
Abstract
The present experiment examined whether habituation contributes to within-session decreases in operant responding for water reinforcers. The experiment asked if this responding can be dishabituated, a fundamental property of habituated behavior. During baseline, rats’ lever pressing was reinforced by water on a variable interval 15-s schedule. During experimental conditions, rats responded on the same schedule and a new stimulus was introduced for 5
min at 15, 30 or 45
min into the 60-min session. The new stimulus was extinction, continuous reinforcement or flashing lights in different conditions. Rate of responding primarily decreased within the session during baseline. Introducing a new stimulus sometimes suppressed (extinction, continuous reinforcement) and sometimes increased (flashing lights) responding while it was in effect. The new stimulus increased responding after it ended and before it was presented in the session. The results are incompatible with the idea that non-habituation satiety factors (e.g., cellular hydration and blood volume) contributed to within-session changes in responding. These satiety factors should increase with increases in consumption, decrease with decreases in consumption and remain constant with constant consumption of water. Nevertheless, all stimulus changes increased operant responding for water. These results support the idea that habituation contributes to within-session decreases in responding for water reinforcers.
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Details
- Title
- Stimulus change dishabituates operant responding supported by water reinforcers
- Creators
- Frances K McSweeney - Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4820, USABenjamin P Kowal - Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4820, USAEric S Murphy - Department of Psychology, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USARoberta S Wiediger - Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4820, USA
- Publication Details
- Behavioural processes, Vol.70(3), pp.235-246
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Identifiers
- 99900547989101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article