Conditioned suppression of drl responding: Effect of ucs intensity, schedule parameter, and schedule context

• Published in: Quarterly journal of experimental psychology 1978-02, Vol.30 (1), p.141-150
• Main Authors: Randich, Alan, Jacobs, W. J., Lolordo, Vincent M., Sutterer, James R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0033-555X
• DOI: 10.1080/14640747808400662

In Experiment I, groups of rats were trained to press a lever for food reinforcement on differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL) schedules which differed in parameter value. A stimulus which terminated with either a 0.5-mA or 2.0-mA electric shock was then superimposed upon each DRL baseline. In general, the magnitude of conditioned suppression was an inverse function of DRL schedule parameter and a direct function of shock intensity. Experiment II demonstrated that the rate of responding maintained by the DRL component of a multiple DRL-extinction schedule decreased during a stimulus preceding a 0.5-mA shock, whereas the rate of responding maintained by the DRL component of a multiple DRL-variable interval schedule showed little change or increased slightly during a stimulus preceding a 0.5-mA shock. Portions of these data were presented at the first annual meeting of the Midwestern Association of Behavioral Analysis, Chicago, Illinois, May 1975. Reprints may be obtained from Alan Randich, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 1J4.