Concurrent generalization gradients for food-controlled and shock-controlled behavior

In the presence of a bright light, monkeys were trained to press a lever to avoid shock and to pull a chain for food reward. After gradients of generalization to other light intensities had been determined for each response, gradients were subsequently secured after training in a brightness discrimination and under several free-shock conditions. The following results were obtained: (1) Generalization gradients prior to discrimination training were much steeper for the food-controlled response than for the shock-controlled response. This finding was confirmed in another study in which rats served as subjects. (2) After discrimination training, both gradients became much steeper, but the avoidance gradient still showed more generalized responding than that of reward. (3) After a period of continuous testing with all the different test intensities, the two gradients became even steeper. In addition, differences between the two gradients virtually disappeared. (4) The intermittent delivery of free shocks during a previously non-shocked light intensity radically affected the shape of the avoidance gradient, just as the addition of an avoidance contingency did during the same, previously non-shocked, light intensity.