BASIC subroutines for on-line experiments using Hewlett-Packard computers

Modifications of the Hewlett-Packard version of the BASIC language to permit its use in data acquisition and control of on-line experiments are described. The resulting software system is an easy-to-use interpretative compiler.     

A comparison of leverpress and head-poke discriminated Sidman avoidance

A discriminated Sidman avoidance procedure used by Forgione (1970) was replicated using a head-poke response instead of a leverpress as the avoidance operant. The resultant data were described in terms of the five dependent measures reported by Forgione. Head-poke avoidance was found to be more efficient than its leverpress counterpart and compared very favorably with the lever-disabling (or shock-timer-on) procedure used by Forgione to break up inefficient leverpress behavior patterns.     

A Plexiglas helmet and catheter protection assembly for chronic intravenous administration of drugs in small primates

A restraint and catheter-protection system consisting of a Plexiglas helmet and a nylon-tubing protector line has been developed to permit the long-term study of drug self-administration in monkeys. Frequent observations of monkeys in the system over a period exceeding a year have shown that the technique satisfies the requirements for long-term study of drug administration through an indwelling catheter and avoids several recurring problems inherent in other protection systems. Additional applications of the helmet and protector line are discussed.     

An inherent problem in certain constant-current stimulators

A basic and potentially dangerous problem that may occur in the use of triggered constant-current generators for stimulation is discussed in the general case. A solution with schematic illustration is presented for one specific constant-current generator, the CCS-1A manufactured by Electronics of Life Sciences, Inc.     

Preprocessing on the basis of frequency of occurrence

The release from PI methodology was used to test Oldfield's (1966) suggestion that human memory is organized in part on the basis of frequency of occurrence. An observed release from PI identified frequency of occurrence as an encoding category and provided support for the underlying assumptions of Oldfield's model.     

Rate-dependent effects of drugs: modification by discriminative stimuli of the effects of amobarbital on schedule-controlled behavior

Food-deprived pigeons responded under a 10-min fixed-interval schedule of food presentation. During even-numbered minutes of the schedule, the discriminative stimuli were the same as those present when food was delivered. During odd-numbered minutes there was either a change in keylight color or a change in overhead illumination, either for the entire duration of the odd-numbered minutes, or for 3-sec after each response. Responding during even-numbered minutes showed the usual pattern of positive acceleration; responding during odd-numbered minutes was similarly graded, but rates were much lower. The response-rate-increasing effects of amobarbital were inversely related to control rates of responding for both even- and odd-numbered minutes. However, when the stimulus change during odd-numbered minutes was either keylight color or a change from a darkened to a brightly illuminated chamber, increases in responding were considerably less than predicted on the basis of the effects on responding during even-numbered minutes. When the stimulus change was from a darkened to a dimly illuminated chamber, control rates of responding changed little, but increases in responding during odd-numbered minutes after amobarbital were considerably greater, and of the approximate order expected on the basis of control rate.