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Biomedical subjects

B MIGLER

Publications and source records attributed to B MIGLER.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

TIMING BEHAVIOR AND CONDITIONED FEAR.

Rats were trained on a two-response timing procedure which required that response B follow response A by at least a minimum specified interval in order to be reinforced with food. Repeated presentation (5 min on, 5 min off) of an auditory warning stimulus terminated by a brief electric shock to the feet (conditioned fear) produced a marked suppression in the frequency of A-to-B response sequences during the warning stimulus. The distribution of A-to-B interresponse times (timing behavior), however, did not change during the warning stimulus.

Conditioning, Psychological↗

EFFECTS OF AVERAGING DATA DURING STIMULUS GENERALIZATION.

Rats were trained to press two keys consecutively for reinforcement. During stimulus one (slow clicker) a 6-sec time delay was required between the two responses. During stimulus eight (fast clicker) no time delay was required between the two responses. When tested with intermediate stimuli (intermediate click rates) the median time delays emitted by the animals were intermediate between their performances on the original training stimuli, resulting in typical generalization gradients. Closer examination of the data revealed that the median values were not representative of the behavior of the animals.

Animals↗

Experimental self-punishment and superstitious escape behavior.

Rats were trained to escape from shock by pressing a bar. Bar holding was subsequently punished with very brief shocks. This treatment failed to depress bar-holding behavior. In some cases, although the escape shocks were delivered very infrequently, bar holding was maintained and resulted in the delivery of several thousand punishments per session. These and other effects of the punishment treatment were investigated. Finally, some of the possibilities of superstitious escape responding were explored by presenting inescapable shocks to rats that had been trained to escape shock by lever pressing. Although responding during these shocks had no programmed consequences, responding was sustained.

Animals↗

Bar holding during escape conditioning.

To analyze bar-holding behavior during escape conditioning three rats were trained to escape from shock by pressing a bar, and three were trained to escape by releasing a bar. Bar holding behavior was stronger and more stable under the release condition. These effects were related to the relative shock duration of onbar versus offbar shocks.

Animals↗