Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

07:32
Novel Apparatus and Method for Drug Reinforcement
Published on: August 20, 2010
Effects of quipazine on behavior under a multiple schedule of reinforcement
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|April 1, 1978
Abstract:
The effects of three doses of quipazine (1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) on the performance of rats under a multiple fixed-ratio 15 fixed-interval 60-sec schedule of food reinforcement were examined. In the absence of drug, response rates under the fixed-ratio component were much higher than response rates under the fixed-interval component. Rates under the fixed-ratio component were decreased by quipazine in dose-dependent fashion, while response rates under the fixed-interval component were increased by the lowest dose and decreased by the two higher doses of the drug.
Related Concept Videos
Reinforcement Schedules
Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Once a behavior is learned,...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...

