Abstract
Acquisition of both signaled and unsignaled operant avoidance learning was studied in 64 rats as a function of shock intensity, with three different warning signals used in the signaled procedure. In both signaled and unsignaled avoidance, overall response rate was a progressively increasing function of shock intensity. This was due to both an absolute and relative increase in the frequency of responses at shorter interresponse times with increasing shock intensity. Presence of an effective warning signal in the interval immediately preceding shock increased the probability of an avoidance response in this interval, decreased overall response rate, and reduced shock frequency. A buzzer signal proved most effective, followed by tone and light. However, once a warning signal occurred, the probability of an avoidance response to the signal was virtually independent of shock intensity. Also, an index of avoidance efficiency proved to be inversely related to shock intensity.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, N. H., &Nakamura, C. Y. Avoidance decrement in avoidance conditioning.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1964,57, 196–204.
Anger, D. The dependence of interresponse times upon the relative reinforcement of different interresponse times.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1956,52, 145–161.
Annau, Z., &Kamin, L. J. The conditioned emotional response as a function of intensity of the US.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1961,54, 428–432.
Bolles, R. C., &Warren, J. A. The acquisition of bar press avoidance as a function of shock intensity.Psychonomic Science, 1965,3, 297–298.
Boren, J. J., Sidman, M., &Herrnstein, R. J. Avoidance, escape and extinction as functions of shock intensity.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1959,52, 420–425.
D’Amato, M. R., Etkin, M., &Fazzaro, J. Effects of shock type and intensity on anticipatory responses.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1968,66, 527–529.
D’Amato, M. R., &Fazzaro, J. Discriminated lever-press avoidance learning as a function of type and intensity of shock.Journal of Comparative and PhysiologicalPsychology, 1966,61, 313–315.
D’Amato, M. R., Fazzaro, J., &Etkin, M. Discriminated bar-press avoidance maintenance and extinction in rats as a function of shock intensity.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1967,63, 351–354.
Huff, F. W., Piantanida, T. P., &Morris, G. L. Free operant avoidance responding as a function of serially presented variations of UCS intensity.Psychonomic Science, 1967,8, 111–112.
Levine, S. UCS intensity and avoidance learning.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1966,71, 163–164.
Moyer, K. E., &Korn, J. H. Effect of UCS intensity on the acquisition and extinction of an avoidance response.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1964,67, 352–359.
Myers, A. K. Avoidance learning as a function of several training conditions and strain differences in rats.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1959,52, 381–386.
Myers, A. K. Effects of CS intensity and quality in avoidance conditioning.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1962,55, 57–61.
Myers, A. K. Discriminated operant avoidance learning in Wistar and G-4 rats as a function of type of warning stimulus.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1964,58, 453–455.
Powell, R. W. The effect of shock intensity upon responding under a multiple-avoidance schedule.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1970,14, 321–329.
Sidman, M. Some properties of the warning stimulus in avoidance behavior.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychological, 1055,48, 444–450.
Stone, G. C. Some factors that influence acquisition ol free-operant avoidance behaviorPsychological Repots, 1960,18, 383–396.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported in part by an Intramural Grant from the University of California, Riverside.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Myers, A.K. Shock intensity and warning signal effects on several measures of operant avoidance acquisition. Animal Learning & Behavior 5, 51–56 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209131
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209131