Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Science in Engineering

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Science in Engineering

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.

Three experiments used an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning procedure to investigate the ability of the context to generate excitation. Discrete stimuli (CSs) signalling food unconditioned stimuli (USs) were used to decrease contextual conditioning. Detailed observations of the behaviours of rats during and immediately preceding the presentation of CSs, and in an event-free period were analysed. Experiment 1 showed that a discrete visual CS was able to interfere with contextual conditioning because it was a more efficient cue for food than the context. Experiment 2 found that an auditory CS could reduce contextual conditioning in a similar manner but the topography of responding during the event-free period was specific to the modality of the CS. Experiment 3 demonstrated that signal-appropriate responding during the event-free period occurred only if the CS was a signal for reinforcement.

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

Thesis (B.A. Hons. 1975) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

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

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

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Illinois Institute of Technology, 1992. / Adviser: Zalman Lavan. Includes bibliographical references.