Abstract
Eighteen, 23-hr, food deprived, self-stimulating rats were divided into two groups. One group received 20 EBS pulses as a reward for a correct response in a T-maze while a second group received food reward. The subjects learned the correct T-maze response for food reinforcement during 5 days of 10 massed trials per day, but failed to show any evidence of learning for EBS “reinforcement”, either within sessions or over days, using measures of errors or running speeds. Such an exception raises serious question as to whether EBS is a transituational reinforcer or not, and if not, its mechanism of influences upon behavior.
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The author would like to express his appreciation to Thomas B. Collins, Jr., for aid and encouragement received during the conduct of this experiment and to J. Bruce Overmier for aid and encouragement in the preparation of the manuscript. This research was conducted at Central Washington State College.
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Bull, J. Failure of Apparently Rewarding Electrical Brain Stimulation to Serve as a Reinforcer for T-Maze Learning. Psychol Rec 18, 81–88 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393746
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393746