Conditioning of relative frequency of sniffing by rabbits to odors

Developed and evaluated an automated procedure for sniff detection in 4 experiments with 21 adult New Zealand white rabbits. The sniff was identified by a brief episode of increased respiratory rate, usually with a well-defined time of onset. It was detected against the background of respiratory act...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of comparative psychology (1983) 1983-03, Vol.97 (1), p.12-23
Main Authors: Freeman, Walter J, Viana di Prisco, Gonzalo, Davis, G. Wesley, Whitney, Timothy M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal
Animals
Classical Conditioning
Conditioned Responses
Conditioning, Classical - physiology
Cues
Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology
Electromyography
Extinction, Psychological - physiology
Heart Rate
Methodology
Odorants
Olfactory Perception
Rabbits
Respiration
Response Frequency
Smell - physiology
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Summary:Developed and evaluated an automated procedure for sniff detection in 4 experiments with 21 adult New Zealand white rabbits. The sniff was identified by a brief episode of increased respiratory rate, usually with a well-defined time of onset. It was detected against the background of respiratory activity in Ss simply, reliably, and noninvasively by statistical evaluation of digitized pneumograph records. The basal rate of exploratory sniffing was controlled by familiarization. Upon conditioning to olfactory cues, the rate of sniffing for CS+ increased sharply above the basal rate during the 1st trials and was maintained at high levels by continued reinforcement. During extinction with discrimination between olfactory cues, the rate for CS- fell sharply at first and then more slowly toward the basal rate. With pseudoconditioning, Ss responded to an unpaired odor after several sessions; the rates of response acquisition and extinction and the maintained level of responding were lower than with a paired odor in classical delayed conditioning, and the response was not discriminative in respect to another novel odor given during extinction. The sniff displayed a prominent sensory bias for olfactory cues. The relative frequencies of sniffing and respiratory slowing were measured as CRs by screening procedures with a small computer. (23 ref)
ISSN:0735-7036
1939-2087
DOI:10.1037/0735-7036.97.1.12