This study investigated the effects of age on behavior controlled by temporal contingincies and also describes bar press responding by an animal infrequently used in the operant laboratory: the Syrian hamster. A review of the literature revealed a paucity of research on aging and temporal control thus providing an impetus for the study. The performance of four young (12months) and four old (24+months) male Syrian hamsters on Fixed-Interval schedules o f reinforcement was analyzed according t o post-reinforcement-pause duration, response rate, running rate, and cummulative record measures. Failure of the behavior to stabilize consistently over time precluded the interpretation of age differences. The discussion presents rationales for the inconclusive results and describes the atypical behavior of the hamsters.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/183236 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Holmes, Thomas R. |
| Contributors | Meunier, Gary F. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | iv, 55 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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