Abstract
Rats were trained to press one lever on a variable interval schedule of reinforcement in order to produce a second lever. Each response on the’ second lever produced a single burst of hypothalamic electrical stimulation, and following a fixed number of bursts the second lever was retracted. After stabilization of responding, fear conditioning was superimposed on the leverpressing situation. All of the rats developed complete suppression of responding within a few trials. The schedule of reinforcement then was systematically manipulated to increase either the density or the intensity of reinforcement by increasing the frequency with which the second lever was made available, increasing the number of reinforced responses allowed on the second lever, or increasing the intensity of the brain stimulation. Following each such manipulation, there was a temporary attenuation of suppression followed by the reappearance of suppression.
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Reference Notes
M. McCaleb, E. Schmidt, & H. K. Merill. Matched food and ICS responding differentially suppressed following footshock in rats. Paper presented at the Western Psychological Association meeting, April 1975, Sacramento, California.
H. K. Merrill, E. Schmidt, & M. McCaleb. Attenuation of fear conditioning by reinforcing intracranial stimulation: Concurrent and multiple food-ICS schedules. Paper presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association meeting, May 1975, Salt Lake City, Utah.
H. K. Merrill, C. E. Wilson, & D. E. Fleming. Differential effects on- vs. off-baseline fear conditioning in rats responding for hypothalamic brain stimulation. Paper presented at the Western Psychological Association meeting, May 1972, Portland, Oregon.
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This research was supported in part by funds from the National Institute of Mental Health, Grant MH-17341-01, and in part by funds allocated to the author during his tenure as a Research Associate at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona. The assistance of Donald Shearer, Charles E. Wilson, and Donovan E. Fleming is appreciated.
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Merrill, H.K. Conditioned suppression in rats responding for hypothalamic brain stimulation. Psychobiology 4, 151–154 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326568
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326568