Development of bidirectional operant modifications of the cephalic vasomotor response employing a positive reinforcer

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the effectiveness of a positive reinforcer in the bidirectional operant conditioning of the cephalic vasomotor response and to study the development, across sessions, of operant control over this response. To this end, 24 male, Caucasian subjects participated in five daily sessions (two shaping sessions and three operant control sessions) during which they were reinforced for producing either vasodilations (N = 12) or vasoconstrictions (N = 12) of the temporal artery. The results clearly demonstrated that the cephalic vascular responses can be brought under some degree of operant control employing a positive reinforcement paradigm and further that such control over cephalic vasoconstriction developed more rapidly than did operant control of cephalic vasodilation. Some evidence is presented to support a cognitive mediation effect.