Stimulus Control Of Responding Research Articles

Using visual reinforcement to establish stimulus control of responding of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens).

Stimulus control of ring swimming was studied with male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) using 2-component multiple schedules in which the components were correlated with the presence or absence of air bubbles in the water. In Experiment 1, either response-independent mirror presentations or extinction was juxtaposed with immediate response-dependent mirror presentations. Rates of ring swimming generally were higher with immediate reinforcement than with either response-independent mirror presentations or extinction. In Experiment 2, different durations of response-dependent mirror presentations were juxtaposed. Generally, higher rates of ring swimming occurred with 15-s than with 0-, 1-, or 3-s durations. Results demonstrate that stimulus control of responding can be established with these fish under several conditions of differential reinforcement.

A comparison of interoceptive and exteroceptive discrimination in the pigeon.

In pigeons performing a conditional discrimination under a second-order, color-tracking procedure, stimulus control of responding was established using a blinking versus a nonblinking light as exteroceptive stimuli (light-discrimination group). Another group performing under the same second-order schedule of reinforcement was trained to discriminate the interoceptive stimuli produced by an IM injection of 1.5 mg/kg phencyclidine (PCP) versus saline (drug-discrimination group). In the drug-discrimination group, administration of PCP or pentobarbital resulted in dose-dependent increases in PCP-appropriate responding, while, in general, d-amphetamine did not result in appreciable drug-appropriate responding. In the light-discrimination group, all three drugs over the same dose ranges resulted in decreased discriminative control over responding. In both groups, doses of PCP and pentobarbital which resulted in intermediate (30 to 70%) levels of stimulus-appropriate responding were associated with responding at a single key position rather than tracking a key color. In contrast, intermediate responding after d-amphetamine administration was not associated with position responding in either group. These results emphasize the similarity between discriminative control maintained by interoceptive drug stimuli and exteroceptive visual stimuli.

Further evidence of interaction between deprivation effects and stimulus control of responding: III

Four pigeons were given baseline training under a multiple VI 60-sec/VI 60-sec schedule of food reinforcement. One component was correlated with a red key light to which a white light was added in order to signal the availability of a reinforcer. Under the other component, the key light was green at all times. This procedure resulted in few responses under the signaled component, except when the reinforcer was available, and consistent responding at high rates under the unsignaled component. Variations in hours of deprivation produced small increases in responding under the unsignaled component and no change under the signaled component. Systematic changes in body weight produced greater differential effects under the two components. Increases in deprivation resulted in increased responding during the unsignaled component, with little or no change in the rate of responding under the signaled component. The results suggest that when stimulus control results in low rates of response the influence of deprivation is diminished in relation to its effects upon behavior which is controlled at a high rate by a specific stimulus.