Effects of contingent tone on concurrent schedule performance at different deprivation levels

Abstract

The effect of food deprivation on sensitivity to reinforcement and punishment was studied. Rats’ responded on either rich or lean concurrent variable interval (VI) VI schedules. The effects of a tone-punisher that was superimposed over these schedules was examined. The value of the schedule, the presence of punishment, and the deprivation level all influenced overall rates of responding. Response rates increased with the frequency of reinforcement. Tone-punishment had two effects; response suppression, and preference shift towards overmatching. The effects of deprivation level on choice behaviour were less clear. The tendencies observed were that the lower the deprivation, the greater the suppression, and the greater the preference shift towards overmatching obtained.