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Changes in progressive-ratio performance under increased pressures of air
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|May 1, 1974
Summary
Rats on progressive-ratio schedules showed that larger response-ratio increments led to higher final ratios. Hyperbaric air pressure effects on terminal ratios varied with pressure and increment size.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Animal behavior studies
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Progressive-ratio schedules are used to assess response allocation under increasing reinforcement costs.
- Understanding factors influencing breakpoint determination is crucial in behavioral pharmacology and neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of progressive-ratio (PR) step size on breakpoint determination in rats.
- To examine the effects of hyperbaric air and nitrogen pressure on PR performance.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained on PR schedules with varying response-ratio increments (2, 5, 20 responses).
- Subjects responded until they failed to complete a ratio within a 15-minute timeout.
- Hyperbaric air and nitrogen pressures were introduced to assess their influence on terminal ratio size.
Main Results:
- A larger progressive-ratio step size generally resulted in a higher final completed ratio (breakpoint).
- Hyperbaric air pressure produced variable effects on terminal ratio size, dependent on pressure and PR increment.
- Increased nitrogen pressure significantly altered the number of responses in the final ratio, unlike helium.
Conclusions:
- The size of the response-ratio increment is a significant determinant of breakpoint magnitude in rats.
- Hyperbaric air and nitrogen pressures differentially modulate operant responding under PR schedules, suggesting gas-specific effects.