Lever-pressing responses of 6 rats were studied under a free-operant avoidance procedure, in 6 two-hour sessions. Three of the subjects were given an added visual feedback for each response; they avoided shocks more effectively than the subjects without the feedback. Two different measures of overall performance in free-operant avoidance were applied to the results of the experiment. There was little difference between the measures: both reflected the subjects' performance equally well. Relative merits of the measures and the criteria for selecting one of them were discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BollesR. C.PoppR. J. (1964). Parameters affecting the acquisition of Sidman avoidance. Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behaviour7, 315–21.
2.
BollesR. C.GrossenN. E. (1969). Effects of an informational stimulus on the acquisition of avoidance behaviour in rats. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology68, 90–9.
3.
HurwitzH. M. B.BoundsW. (1968). Response specification and acquisition of free-operant avoidance behaviour. Psychological Reports23, 483–94.
4.
McIntireR. W.DavisH.CohenS. I.FranchE. O. (1968). Sidman avoidance performance under punishment and non-contingent shock conditions. Psychological Reports22, 897–903.
5.
SidmanM. (1953). Two temporal parameters of the maintenance of avoidance behaviour by the white rat. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology46, 253–61.
6.
SidmanM. (1958). Some notes on “bursts” in free-operant avoidance experiments. Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior1, 167–72.
7.
SidmanM. (1966). Avoidance Behaviour. Operant Behaviour: Areas of Research and ApplicationHonigW. K.New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
