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T D HAWKINS

Publications and source records attributed to T D HAWKINS.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1965

BRAIN STIMULATION AS A REINFORCER: INTERMITTENT SCHEDULES.

Rats with chronically implanted, bipolar electrodes in the septal and medial forebrain bundle areas, in addition to the region of the mammillary bodies of the posterior hypothalamus, were trained to press a permanently mounted lever in order to produce a second, retractable lever. Rewarding brain stimulation was programmed on the retractable lever; following completion of the programmed number of CRF response-stimulations, that lever was retracted from the box. Responding on the permanent lever could reintroduce the retractable lever. Fixed interval, fixed ratio, DRL, and variable interval schedules were programmed on the permanent lever in the range of schedule parameters often used with conventional reinforcers. Typical effects are described, and it is concluded that there are no striking differences between brain-stimulation reinforcement and the conventional reinforcers.

Brain↗
PubMed1964

BRAIN-STIMULATION INTENSITY, RATE OF SELF-STIMULATION, AND REINFORCEMENT STRENGTH: AN ANALYSIS THROUGH CHAINING.

Reinforcement strengths of different intensities of brain stimulation were assessed by means of a two-member behavioral chain. A variable interval schedule of 30 sec was the first-member, and five lever presses, each rewarded with stimulation, was the second. It was found that response rate on the VI schedule continued to increase beyond the intensity value which produced peak rate on the second-member, self-stimulation lever. It was concluded (1) that brain-stimulation reinforcement strength cannot be assessed adequately by means of self-stimulation rate, and (2) the chaining technique employed in the present experiment appears promising as an analytical tool in brain-stimulation research. Finally, some aspects of the data suggested a fatigue or stimulation-adaptation phenomenon.

Brain↗
PubMed1963

TEST OF DEUTSCH'S DRIVE-DECAY THEORY OF REWARDING SELF-STIMULATION OF THE BRAIN.

Deutsch's theory of intracranial self-stimulation generates experimental predictions regarding the effects of both free stimulation of the brain and the pre-extinction training procedure on extinction behavior after rewarding stimulation of the brain. The results of one experiment confirmed the prediction regarding free stimulation; the other experiment did not provide the expected result. We concluded that Deutsch's theory, in its present form, is of restricted enerality.

Brain↗