Varying temporal placement of an added stimulus in a fixed-interval schedule

One paradigm for exploring stimulus effects on behavior is defined for steady state experiments. The paradigm is illustrated by a 60-sec fixed-interval reinforcement schedule wherein a 6-sec light is introduced into each interval. The temporal relation of this stimulus to the reinforcer is the independent variable that is systematically explored. Two experiments studied this temporal relation under two parametric conditions: (a) when the 6-sec light occurs once in each 60-sec interval, (b) when the 6-sec light occurs twice in each interval, the second time always during the 6 sec immediately preceding the reinforcer. Functions are presented showing the effect of the 6-sec light on responding at all points in the fixed-interval.     

Auditory reaction time and the derivation of equal loudness contours for the monkey

Monkeys were trained to release a telegraph key at the onset of a pure tone. Latency of the response was measured over a 70-db range of sound pressure (re 0.0002 dyn/cm(2)) at six frequencies (250 to 15,000 cps). Latency was found to be an inverse exponential function of intensity at all frequencies. Equal loudness was inferred from the equal latency contours which were constructed from the latency-intensity functions at each frequency. These data indicate peak auditory sensitivity for the monkey near 1000 cps. At the frequencies above and below 1000 cps consistently more sound energy was required for equal latency.     

The use of rats as discriminative stimuli

A FREE OPERANT PROCEDURE WAS USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ONE RAT COULD DISCRIMINATE: (1) between the presence and absence of a second rat, and (2) between two other rats of the same species and sex. The subjects were four male Wistar rats. The discriminatory response was a bar press and food was used as reinforcement during training. Although there were wide individual differences in rate of learning, all subjects learned to make both discriminations.