Abstract
Two adult male baboons were surgically prepared with arterial catheters which provided a continuous measure of blood pressure and heart rate. Environmental consequences (food and electric shock) were made contingent upon prespecified increases in diastolic blood pressure levels. Continued exposure to these contingencies resulted in substantial increases in both diastolic and systolic pressures. The results demonstrated that blood pressure changes are highly susceptible to both operant“shaping” and stimulus control procedures and extend the range of instrumental conditioning effects upon the cardiovascular system.
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This work was supported by National Heart and Lung Inst. Grant HE-06945, U. S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, DADA-17-68-C8133, and San Diego State College Contract N-00014-70-C-0350.
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Harris, A.H., Findley, J.D. & Brady, J.V. Instrumental conditioning of blood pressure elevations in the baboon. Conditional Reflex 6, 215–226 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000456
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000456