Schedules of food postponement: II. Maintenance of behavior by food postponement and effects of the schedule parameter.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Clark, Fogle C. Smith, James B.
Abstract	In Experiment I, food-deprived, feeder-trained squirrel monkeys pressed a lever to postpone brief electric shocks (Response-Shock=Shock-Shock interval=30 seconds). Forty-one three-hour sessions of shock postponement were followed by 120 sessions of concurrent shock and food postponement. The shock schedule was unchanged and the food schedule was Response-food interval–20 seconds, Food-food interval 10 seconds. After concurrent shock and food postponement, the shock schedule was discontinued and 40 sessions of food postponement ensued, followed by 53 sessions of extinction. After extinction, food postponement was resumed for 11 sessions. Stable responding with low food rates was maintained under food-postponement after the concurrent schedule. Responding decreased to low levels under extinction and recovered immediately to previous levels when the food-postponement schedule was re-instated. In Experiment II, a parameter of the food-postponement schedule was studied sequentially. Using the same subjects, the Response-food–Food-food interval was manipulated from four seconds to 80 seconds with several orders of presentation. Relations of response rates and food rates to the parameter were similar to those seen under shock postponement. Exposure to very short postponement times (four seconds), resulting in very high food rates, decreased but did not abolish subsequent responding at longer postponement times. Results are discussed from the point of view that reinforcing functions of stimuli consequent on responding depend on a prior history of scheduled contact with those stimuli.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC1333642&blobtype=pdf
ISSN	00225002
Volume Number	28
DOI	10.1901/jeab.1977.28-253
PubMed Central reference number	PMC1333642
Issue Number	3
PubMed reference number	16812031
Journal	J Exp Anal Behav
Language	English
Publisher Date	1977-11-01
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	food postponement shock postponement avoidance schedules free-operant avoidance concurrent schedules schedule history schedule control law of effect squirrel monkeys
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Behavioral Neuroscience