Some Effects of Lick-contingent Delays on the Development of Schedule-induced Polydipsia

G. Moran, Dalhousie University
R. L. Rudolph, Dalhousie University

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Published in: Learning and Motivation, Volume 11, Issue 3, August 1980, Pages 366-385. doi: 10.1016/0023-9690(80)90007-7
Dr. Greg Moran is currently a faculty member at The University of Western Ontario.

Abstract

Experiments 1 and 2 examined the effects of various durations of lickcontingent delays of reinforcement on the development of schedule-induced polydipsia. Food was provided every 1 min in the absence of licking. Delays of 1 min or more effectively disrupted the development of the licking behavior. In Experiments 3 and 4 a lick-contingent stimulus was provided in addition to the delay of food delivery. A light, which was turned on by a lick and turned off by food, greatly enhanced the development of polydipsia under delays that had previously prevented such development. A tone proved less effective than the light in promoting the development of polydipsia. Adventitious reinforcement and conditioned punishment explanations of these results were considered. A distinction was drawn between the mechanism responsible for the development of schedule-induced behavior and that responsible for its maintenance.