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A bout analysis of operant response disruption
Ryan J Brackney1, Timothy H C Cheung2, Federico Sanabria1
1Arizona State University, United States.
Behavioural Processes
|April 23, 2017
Summary
Different methods of disrupting operant behavior (extinction, non-contingent reinforcement, prefeeding) affect response bouts uniquely. These disruptions impact bout initiation and duration differently, suggesting distinct effects on behavioral persistence.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Operant Conditioning
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Operant behavior is structured in response bouts.
- Response bout parameters show differential sensitivity to various manipulations.
- Understanding these sensitivities is key to behavioral theories.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate differential effects of three operant response disruptions.
- Examine extinction (EXT), non-contingent reinforcement (NCR), and prefeeding (PRE) on response bouts.
- Determine how these disruptions impact dissociable aspects of behavior.
Main Methods:
- Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and Long Evans (LE) rats were trained on tandem variable-time (VT) fixed-ratio (FR) schedules.
- Response bouts were disrupted using extinction (EXT), non-contingent reinforcement (NCR), or prefeeding (PRE).
- Differential impacts on bout initiation and responses per bout were analyzed.
Main Results:
- In EXT and NCR, response rates declined progressively, linked to bout initiation (EXT) and fewer responses per bout (NCR).
- PRE caused a session-wide rate drop, mainly from reduced bout initiation early in the session.
- Each disruption method uniquely affected specific parameters of operant response bouts.
Conclusions:
- Extinction, non-contingent reinforcement, and prefeeding differentially impact distinct components of operant behavior.
- These findings highlight the importance of analyzing bout parameters beyond overall response rates.
- Behavioral persistence theories must incorporate these specific functional relations for comprehensive understanding.
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