Abstract
Six rats were trained to leverpress on a three-component multiple schedule containing variable-interval (VI) 28-sec, VI 66-sec, and extinction components. Under this arrangement all subjects came to respond during the VI periods, while responding essentially ceased in the extinction associated stimulus. Tone and light (T + L) were both present during the VI 28-sec contingency and both were absent (tone off and light out, T + L) during the VI 66-sec contingency. For half the rats extinction was programmed in light (L + T), for the other half extinction was programmed in tone (T + L). A composite-stimulus analysis of the training conditions reveals that, for the L + T extinction rats, the composite composed entirely of stimulus elements associated with responding was T + L (tone), while for the T + L extinction rats this stimulus was L + T (light). In testing all subjects emitted the most responses to that composite stimulus composed entirely of elements discriminative for responding, rather than to the VI associated composites that had an element in common with the extinction component. That it was tone or light to which the subjects showed additive summation supports predictions from Weiss’ (1969, 1972) composite-stimulus control model.
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This research was supported by Grant MH-16853 from the National Institute of Mental Health, United States Public Health Service.
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Tsai, SY., Weiss, S.J. A further application of composite-stimulus control in additive summation. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 9, 169–172 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336963
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336963