For experiments investigated the effect of adding noncontingent (free) food to an operant contingency during random ratio (RR) and random interval (RI) training and during extinction in rats. Free food was presented during extinction of RI responding in Experiments 1 and 2. Noncontigent food retarded response loss compared to a signaled free food group (Experiments 1 and 2) which declined less rapidly than a control group of no free food (Experiment 1). Free food was presented while the instrumental reinforcement RR and RI probabilities remained unchanged in Experiments and 3 and 4. In contrast to Experiments 1 and 2, added noncontingent food facilitated response loss compared to a signaled condition and to a control group of no added free food which responded most (Experiment 3). Removing all food caused most recovery in the free food group, less in the signaled condition and least in the control group (Experiments 1 and 3). A generalization decrement hypothesis of the free food effect was offered to explain these apparently paradoxical results.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1974. / Bibliography: leaves 99-105. / vi, 105 leaves ill

Thesis (B.A. Hons. 1976) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1967. / Bibliography: leaves [22]-23. / v, 33 l graphs, tables

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1967. / Bibliography: leaves [85]-88. / viii, 88 l tables

Thesis (B.A. (Hons.)), Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide, 1971.

Thesis (B.Sc. Hons. 1976) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

Thesis (M.A. 1977) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.