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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Operant conditioning'
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1
Kenzer, Amy L. "Dishabituation of operant responding in humans /." abstract and full text PDF (free order & download UNR users only), 2007. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3276957.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007."May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-64). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2007]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.
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基燦, 宋., and Kichan Song. "Effects of different reinforcement schedules on neuronal operant conditioning." Thesis, https://doors.doshisha.ac.jp/opac/opac_link/bibid/BB13118640/?lang=0, 2019. https://doors.doshisha.ac.jp/opac/opac_link/bibid/BB13118640/?lang=0.
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Géczy, István. "The effects of noncontingent food on maintained operant responding and extinction /." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=56637.
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For experiments investigated the effect of adding noncontingent (free) food to an operant contingency during random ratio (RR) and random interval (RI) training and during extinction in rats. Free food was presented during extinction of RI responding in Experiments 1 and 2. Noncontigent food retarded response loss compared to a signaled free food group (Experiments 1 and 2) which declined less rapidly than a control group of no free food (Experiment 1). Free food was presented while the instrumental reinforcement RR and RI probabilities remained unchanged in Experiments and 3 and 4. In contrast to Experiments 1 and 2, added noncontingent food facilitated response loss compared to a signaled condition and to a control group of no added free food which responded most (Experiment 3). Removing all food caused most recovery in the free food group, less in the signaled condition and least in the control group (Experiments 1 and 3). A generalization decrement hypothesis of the free food effect was offered to explain these apparently paradoxical results.
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Stewart, Paul H. "Equine Operant Conditioning: Autoshaping, Observational Learning, and Discriminative Stimulus Intensity." DigitalCommons@USU, 1992. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/3839.
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This thesis is compromised of three studies in which basic principles of operant conditioning were applied to horses. Autoshaping was examined as a method for horse training. Observational learning was investigated to confirm that naive horses can, in fact,
acquire novel behavior by observing experienced horses, and the rate of acquisition with observation is more rapid than spontaneous responding without observation. A third study examined the effect of discriminative stimulus intensity on the acquisition rate of novel behavior.
All subjects learned to use an operant conditioning device. Subjects in the first study autoshaped. Observational learning was also demonstrated to be a means by which horses can learn. The rate of learning was significantly improved through observation. Intensity of the discriminative stimulus affects the acquisition of novel behavior. The subject exposed to the higher intensity stimulus acquired sustained manipulandum pressing significantly faster than other subjects.
It was concluded that horses acquire behavior in much the same manner as other species.
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Delgado, Diana M. "An interpretation of operant learning in terms of substitution processes /." abstract and full text PDF (UNR users only), 2008. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3342545.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008."December 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-135). Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2009]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. Online version available on the World Wide Web.
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Rouse, Susan L. "A Comparison of Points Versus Sounds as Reinforces in Human Operant Research." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1999. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278951/.
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Research shows that human operant behavior typically differs from non-human operant behavior on schedules of reinforcement. These differences in performance may be related to differences between the experimental preparations used to study human and non-human operant behavior. One such difference is the type of reinforcer used. This experiment analyzed the differential effects of points alone, points backed up by money, and sounds on schedule performance of human subjects. Results show that sounds generated moderate rates of responding, capable of change in either direction. When points backed up with money were the reinforcers, however, high rates of behavior were generated, disrupting the previously established baseline performance. This suggests that while points may be effective in generating high rates of behavior, they may be ineffective in producing sensitive baselines needed to study human operant behavior on schedules of reinforcement.
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Seymour, Kail H. "The Effects of Reinforcing Operant Variability on Task Acquisition." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2002. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3273/.
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Neuringer, Deiss, and Olson (2000) was replicated and extended to determine the effect of variability contingencies on task acquisition for twelve 7-9 year old children. Subjects first learned to press a computer's shift keys with increasing response variation. Each subject was then exposed to one of three experimental conditions during which they received a point for target responses. Variability condition subjects received additional points on a variable interval schedule for nontarget responses occurring less than 3% of the time. The any condition subjects received additional points on a variable interval schedule for any nontarget response. Control subjects received points only for target responses. All variability condition and two control subjects learned the target response. All any condition subjects and two control subjects did not.
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Alvey, Debi A. "A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Different Reinforcers: Sound-Clips Versus Points Exchangeable for Money." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2000. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2738/.
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Human operant studies frequently use points exchangeable for money as reinforcers. Some studies employ more immediately consumable reinforcers to emulate properties of food reinforcers. This study examined demand for points/money and for sound-clips to compare their economic characteristics. Across four participants, demand was often higher and less elastic for points/money than for sounds. During subsequent exposures at each response requirement, demand for sounds often decreased to a greater degree than demand for points/money. Thus, sound-clips seem less durable than points/money across prices and across repeated exposure to the same price. Response rates for points/money were often higher than for sounds, suggesting that reinforcers that generate higher response rates may be less elastic than reinforcers that generate lower response rates.
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Chen, Yi. "Re-educating the injured spinal cord by operant conditioning of a reflex pathway." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1147873519.
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Datta, Udita. "Characterization of Drug Reward in an Invertebrate Model System Using Operant Conditioning Paradigms." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1429213190.
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O'Daly, Matthew. "Influence of temporal context on value : an exploration of various operant conditioning procedures /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC IP addresses, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3159872.
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Wennmacher, Pamela L. Rosales-Ruiz Jesus. "Effects of click + continuous food vs. click + intermittent food on the maintenance of dog behavior." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3598.
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Gomez, Francisco M. Rosales-Ruiz Jesus. "Topographical analysis of reinforcement produced variability generalizations across settings and contingencies /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3973.
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Duggan, Jane A. "Aversion of broiler chickens to whole-body vibration." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243677.
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Gomez, Francisco. "Topographical analysis of reinforcement produced variability: Generalizations across settings and contingencies." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3973/.
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This study evaluated the effects of programming a variability contingency on one object and the generalization of variability across other objects and contingencies when the defining features of the variable responses were topographical differences. A dog's interactions with five different objects were measured under both ANY (where any physical contact with the object would be reinforced on a fixed ratio schedule) and the VAR contingencies (where only the novel responses per trial would be reinforced). The ANY contingency produced stereotyped responding of behavior with all objects. When one of the dog-object interactions was changed to the VAR contingency, a marked decrease in stereotypic behavior and an increase in novel responses in the form of topographical combinations were observed across both contingencies.
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Bhimani, Rohan. "Operant Place Aversion in the Rusty Crayfish, Orconectes rusticus." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1415978513.
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Macartney, Lorna Rosemary. "The control of peripheral digital temperature through biofeedback and the techniques of operant conditioning." Thesis, University of Ulster, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.303112.
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Pontes, Arthur Henriques. "Temporal proteomic analysis of rat hippocampus provides evidence for memory reconsolidation in operant conditioning." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UnB, 2018. http://repositorio.unb.br/handle/10482/33824.
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Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Molecular, 2018.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
Os animais são capazes de guardar informações adquiridas do mundo exterior em forma de memórias. A formação de memórias ocorre através de um rearranjo de circuitos neurais, que é provocado por alterações na transcrição, tradução e adição de grupos químicos em proteínas em forma de mudanças pós-traducionais (PTMs) em células de regiões específicas do sistema nervoso central como o hipocampo. Notavelmente, a caracterização molecular da formação de memórias tem sido realizada primariamente em animais submetidos a paradigmas comportamentais relacionados a memória espacial ou de medo. Neste estudo, nós examinamos as mudanças moleculares associadas com o armazenamento de informações em animais submetidos ao condicionamento operante (OC). Aqui, empregamos a cromatografia de troca aniônica (SAX) offline com eluição através de um gradiente crescente de sal seguido de uma cromatografia líquida acoplada a espectrometria de massas em tandem (LC-MS/MS) para mensurar mudanças no proteoma e fosfoproteoma hipocampais em estágios precoce e tardio da formação de memórias, assim como depois da evocação do comportamento. Identificamos um total de 8.951 proteínas e 568 fosfoproteínas. Mudanças estatisticamente significativas foram detectadas em 456 proteínas e 53 fosfoproteínas ao longo dos intervalos de tempo mencionados anteriormente. Ademais, mensurações de abundância de mRNA por reação em cadeia de polimerase em tempo real revelou uma fraca interdependência entre os níveis de transcritos e proteínas, dando suporte a noção de uma baixa correlação entre proteínas e mRNAs em estados celulares perturbados. Além disso, a identificação de proteínas diferencialmente reguladas do sistema ubiquitina-proteassoma (UPS), assim como calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), fornece evidência para a existência de uma janela de tempo depois da evocação do comportamento na qual informações armazenadas se tornam sensíveis a modificações conhecido como reconsolidação.
Animals are able to store newly acquired information about the external world as memories. Memory formation occurs via rearrangements of neural circuitries, which are elicited by changes in transcription, translation and post-translation modifications (PTMs) in cells of specific regions of the central nervous system such as the hippocampus. Notably, the molecular characterization of memory formation has been carried out primarily in the context of animals that have been subjected to fear or spatial learning paradigms. In this study, we examined the molecular changes associated with information storage in rodents subjected to operant conditioning (OC). Herein, we employed strong anionic exchange (SAX) with salt gradient elution as a fractionation strategy followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS) to measure changes in hippocampal proteome and phosphoproteome at early and late stages of memory formation, as well as after behavior recall. We identified a total of 8,951 proteins and 568 phosphoproteins, making this study the largest hippocampal proteome to date. Statistically significant abundance changes were shown in 465 proteins and 64 phosphoproteins throughout the aforementioned time intervals. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of mRNA abundance levels revealed a weak interdependence between protein and transcript levels, giving credence to the notion of a low correlation between proteins and mRNAs in disturbed cellular states. Also, the identification of differentially regulated proteins of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), as well as calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), provides evidence for the existence of a time window after behavioral recall in which stored information may become liable to further changes known as memory reconsolidation.
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Segura, Valerie D. "Examination of potential elicitors of operant and respondent behaviors in smokers." Scholarly Commons, 2014. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/296.
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Research on operant learning principles suggests that discriminative stimuli, and negative and positive reinforcement play a role in the maintenance of smoking behavior. Smoking research from a respondent learning paradigm focuses on the role of environmental stimuli that function as elicitors of physiological responses related to smoking. Basic research suggests that compensatory responses may play a role in drug tolerance and relapse. In one preliminary study assessing the role of compensatory responses to smoking stimuli (Machado, 2011), drops in carbon monoxide (CO) were observed only when smokers viewed smoking related stimuli. However, it is possible that these patterns were influenced by CO monitor sensitivity to differing exhalation durations in which exhalation duration may have been under stimulus control of the smoking stimuli. The purpose of the current study was twofold: Study 1 controlled for exhalation duration by holding exhalation duration constant using a within subject design and Study 2 precisely measured but did not control total exhalation duration in an attempt to replicate the results from Machado (2011). Results from Study 1 did not support the presence of compensatory responses in smokers; results from Study 2 did not support the presence of operantly maintained exhalation durations. Study limitations, implications and future directions are discussed.
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Hunter, Chad S. "Analyzing Contingencies of Behavioral and Cultural Selection." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30471/.
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A choice paradigm was used to evaluate allocation of interlocking behavior of two groups of two participants between responses having operant consequences only and responses having cultural consequences. In a discrete trial BABABAB design, each participant could select one of three options, which delivered either 3 or 5 points. In B (cultural consequence) conditions, two of the options had additional effects: the 3-point option also added 3 points to the other participant's earnings, and one of the 5-point options also subtracted 5 points from the other participant's earnings. The third option was unchanged in both conditions and delivered 5 points to the participant who selected it. Results indicated that participants in both groups initially frequently produced response combinations that earned 8 points for one or the other individual (and 0 or 3 points for the other), but allocation of responding increasingly changed to combinations that produced 6 points for each individual. This shift in performances away from maximum individual reinforcement towards maximum group reinforcement indicates cultural contingencies did not act in concert with operant contingencies, suggesting they are different mechanisms of selection.
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Truxell, Eric M. "Assessment of ethanol reinforcement through operant and second order conditioning during infancy an ontogenetic perspective /." Diss., Online access via UMI:, 2007.
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Kieta, Andrew. "Reinforcing Variability Produces Stereotypic Behavior." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2017. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc984163/.
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Behaving in novel ways is essential to the development of the types of complex performances described by the term creativity, problem solving, and perseverance. Some research suggests that response variability is an operant and a critical component of novel behavior. However, other account of novel behavior may be more parsimonious. Topographical variability has rarely been examined, nor has operant variability with organisms with baselines featuring stereotypic responding. This study examined the effects of a variability-specifying contingency on the cumulative novel responses of undergraduate students. Using the PORTL apparatus, participants interacted with a ball with a single hand. When the variability-specifying contingency was in effect, novel topographies were reinforced. When a reinforce every response condition was implemented, the participants did not emit any novel responses. When variability-specifying contingencies were in effect, novel responses were rarely followed by subsequent novel responses. They were mostly followed by repeated emission of the same topography, or by other previously emitted topographies. Novel responding did not persist long, although the variability-specifying contingency remained in effect and the potential for novel responding was great. The variability-specifying contingency often resulted in stereotypic response chains. Each of these findings call into the question the assertion that variability is an operant and suggests other possible explanations for the observed novelty.
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Fernandez, Eduardo J. "An 8-Step Program: Shaping and Fixed-Time Food Delivery Effects on Several Approximations and Undesired Responses in Goats." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4219/.
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This study investigated the effects of a shaping program for halter training across 8 steps in the program and 4 trial-terminating, or "undesirable," responses. Three La Mancha goats (Capra hircus) located at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, Texas were used for the study. A fixed-time 15 s (FT-15 s) was used during the baseline conditions, to examine the effects of response contingent and response-independent food deliveries, as well as to examine what preliminary steps might not necessarily have to be shaped. All 3 goats successfully learned to allow the halter to be placed on them and to lead on the halter, although 2 of the 3 goats required an additional task analysis for the fifth step to further break down that approximation. Several of the early steps selected by the researchers were not necessary to complete the program, as determined by the baseline condition.
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Rueda, Paola Moretti [UNESP]. "Qualidade de manejo e temperamento de bovinos: efeitos na eficiência reprodutiva de fêmeas submetidas a um protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo." Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11449/104881.
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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
Esta pesquisa foi dividida em três estudos: O estudo 1 teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do condicionamento operante com reforço positivo no temperamento de novilhas da raça Nelore. Foram utilizadas 170 novilhas da raça Nelore com idade média de 20,0±2,6 meses. Foram realizadas três avaliações, a primeira antes de iniciar o protocolo de condicionamento e após 60 (quando o protocolo de condicionamento foi finalizado) e 74 dias. A reatividade dos bovinos foi avaliada com o escore de tronco (ET) e a velocidade de fuga (VF). Foi realizada também a avaliação qualitativa do comportamento (QBA). Com base em ET foram definidas quatro classes de aprendizagem, quais sejam: (1) desejável, (2) aceitável, (3) inconstante e (4) indesejável. A VF média na primeira avaliação foi de 4,02±1,00 m/s, reduzindo para 2,88±0,6 e 2,90±1,07m, na segunda e terceira avaçiações, respectivamente. ET apresentou o mesmo padrão de distribuição que VF, com médias de 3,12±0,05; 2,92±0,05; 2,88±0,05; para cada uma das três avaiações. Não foi encontrado efeito das classes de aprendizagem na expressão dos descritores da análise qualitativa do comportamento (QBA). Concluiu-se que o protocolo de condicionamento foi eficiente em diminuir a reatividade dos animais. O objetivo do segundo estudo foi avaliar o efeito do condicionamento com reforço positivo no temperamento e na taxa de prenhez de novilhas. Foram utilizadas 46 novilhas, sendo 24 da raça Nelore e 22 cruzadas, com idade média de 24,94±3,49 meses. As novilhas foram distribuidas em dois grupos experimentais – condicionadas (C) e não condicionadas (NC). Para este estudo foram utilizados três escores visuais para avaliação do temperamento – movimentação (MOV), tensão (T) e ET, além da VF. Os testes foram aplicados em cinco momentos distintos: antes do início do protocolo...
This research was divided in three studies: The first one aimed to evaluate the effect of operant conditioning with positive reinforcement on the Nellore heifers temperament; the study was.carried out with 170 Nellore heifers with 20.0±2.6 months of age, on average. Three assessments were realized, before start the conditioning protocol, and after 60 (when the conditioning protocol was finished) and 74 days. Cattle reactivity was assessed by measuring the crush score (CS) and flight speed (FS). A qualitivative behavior assessment (QBA) was also conducted. Based on the values of CS four classes of learning were defined, as follow: (1) desirable, (2) acceptable, (3) inconsistent and (4) undesirable. The FS average at the first evaluation was 4.02±1.00 m/s, decreasing to 2.88±0.6 and 2.90±1.07m, in the second and third assessments, respectively. There was effects of classes of learning on the expression of the descriptors of the qualitative behavior assessement (QBA) was not found. It was concluded that the operant condicioning protocol was effective in decreasing the animals’ reactivity. The second study aimed to evaluate the effect of operant conditioning with positive reinforcement in the temperament and pregnancy rates of heifers; 46 heifers were used, being 24 Nellore, 22 crossed breeding with average age of 24.94 ± 3.49 months. The heifers were distributed into two treatments - conditioned (C) and non-conditioned (NC). For this study was used three scores for visual assessment of temperament - movement (MOV), tension (TENS), crush score (CS), to discrete measurements was used the flight speed (FS). The test was applied five times at distincts moments: before starting the operant conditioning protocol and four times after it, during the application of the fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
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Rueda, Paola Moretti. "Qualidade de manejo e temperamento de bovinos : efeitos na eficiência reprodutiva de fêmeas submetidas a um protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo /." Jaboticabal, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11449/104881.
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Orientador: Mateus José Rodrigues Paranhos da CostaBanca: Pietro Sampaio Baruselli
Banca: Rui Machado
Banca: Alex Sandro Campos Maia
Banca: Maurício Mello de Alencar
Resumo: Esta pesquisa foi dividida em três estudos: O estudo 1 teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do condicionamento operante com reforço positivo no temperamento de novilhas da raça Nelore. Foram utilizadas 170 novilhas da raça Nelore com idade média de 20,0±2,6 meses. Foram realizadas três avaliações, a primeira antes de iniciar o protocolo de condicionamento e após 60 (quando o protocolo de condicionamento foi finalizado) e 74 dias. A reatividade dos bovinos foi avaliada com o escore de tronco (ET) e a velocidade de fuga (VF). Foi realizada também a avaliação qualitativa do comportamento (QBA). Com base em ET foram definidas quatro classes de aprendizagem, quais sejam: (1) desejável, (2) aceitável, (3) inconstante e (4) indesejável. A VF média na primeira avaliação foi de 4,02±1,00 m/s, reduzindo para 2,88±0,6 e 2,90±1,07m, na segunda e terceira avaçiações, respectivamente. ET apresentou o mesmo padrão de distribuição que VF, com médias de 3,12±0,05; 2,92±0,05; 2,88±0,05; para cada uma das três avaiações. Não foi encontrado efeito das classes de aprendizagem na expressão dos descritores da análise qualitativa do comportamento (QBA). Concluiu-se que o protocolo de condicionamento foi eficiente em diminuir a reatividade dos animais. O objetivo do segundo estudo foi avaliar o efeito do condicionamento com reforço positivo no temperamento e na taxa de prenhez de novilhas. Foram utilizadas 46 novilhas, sendo 24 da raça Nelore e 22 cruzadas, com idade média de 24,94±3,49 meses. As novilhas foram distribuidas em dois grupos experimentais - condicionadas (C) e não condicionadas (NC). Para este estudo foram utilizados três escores visuais para avaliação do temperamento - movimentação (MOV), tensão (T) e ET, além da VF. Os testes foram aplicados em cinco momentos distintos: antes do início do protocolo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)
Abstract: This research was divided in three studies: The first one aimed to evaluate the effect of operant conditioning with positive reinforcement on the Nellore heifers temperament; the study was.carried out with 170 Nellore heifers with 20.0±2.6 months of age, on average. Three assessments were realized, before start the conditioning protocol, and after 60 (when the conditioning protocol was finished) and 74 days. Cattle reactivity was assessed by measuring the crush score (CS) and flight speed (FS). A qualitivative behavior assessment (QBA) was also conducted. Based on the values of CS four classes of learning were defined, as follow: (1) desirable, (2) acceptable, (3) inconsistent and (4) undesirable. The FS average at the first evaluation was 4.02±1.00 m/s, decreasing to 2.88±0.6 and 2.90±1.07m, in the second and third assessments, respectively. There was effects of classes of learning on the expression of the descriptors of the qualitative behavior assessement (QBA) was not found. It was concluded that the operant condicioning protocol was effective in decreasing the animals' reactivity. The second study aimed to evaluate the effect of operant conditioning with positive reinforcement in the temperament and pregnancy rates of heifers; 46 heifers were used, being 24 Nellore, 22 crossed breeding with average age of 24.94 ± 3.49 months. The heifers were distributed into two treatments - conditioned (C) and non-conditioned (NC). For this study was used three scores for visual assessment of temperament - movement (MOV), tension (TENS), crush score (CS), to discrete measurements was used the flight speed (FS). The test was applied five times at distincts moments: before starting the operant conditioning protocol and four times after it, during the application of the fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
Doutor
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Naftolin, Stacie (Stacie A. ). "Assessment and Treatment of Object Mouthing in the Classroom." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278502/.
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The object mouthing of a developmentally delayed 8-year-old girl was assessed and treated in a classroom setting. Two pretreatment assessments were conducted: A functional analysis indicated that object mouthing occurred across test conditions and persisted in the absence of social contingencies, and assessment of stimulus preference identified reinforcers to be used during treatments. Based on assessment outcomes, two treatments were implemented. Noncontingent sensory reinforcement was implemented during free-time and group activities, resulting in a 74.3% decrease in object mouthing across three settings. During one-on-one educational activities, presentation of academic task-trials at a high rate decreased object mouthing by 85.7%, relative to a condition in which tasks were presented at a slower rate.
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Nauman, Laila. "Operant conditioning in a self controlling test with a reinforcement delay in Pygmy Hippos (Hexaprotodon liberiensis)." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-65616.
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The curiosity whether or not animals have the characteristics of long term planning skills is fairly new. Some researchers agree that certain species have a form of episodic-like memory, in the terms of where, when and what. But the most difficult thing is to find out if these species have an aim for the future which involves what some call mental time travel. This study is a part of the discussion if the tests in long term planning and foresight can be explained by associative learning and the ability of self control in highly trained animals. Many self control and delay tasks have been conducted with laboratory animals such as rats, pigeons, monkeys and apes. Here we made a self control test with a reinforcement delay in pygmy hippos (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), an endangered species (listed as vulnerable at Cites, 2000), to extend the test among species. Also for trying to find out more about their cognitive skills, so we can better fulfil their needs in captivity. In this study, the female succeeded in 71,1 % (27 out of 38 trials) of the opportunities and the male in 84,2 % (32 out of 38 trials). To our knowledge this is the first study of learning and cognition in Pygmy hippos.
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Arndt, David L. "Role of HDAC inhibition and environmental condition in altering phases of amphetamine self-administration." Diss., Kansas State University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/32694.
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Doctor of PhilosophyPsychological Sciences
Mary E. Cain
Gene-environment interactions play a significant role in drug abuse and addiction. Epigenetics (the study of how environmental stimuli alter gene expression) has gained attention in recent years as a significant contributor to many behavioral phenotypes of drug addiction. The current study sought to determine if differential rearing conditions can alter a specific epigenetic mechanism, histone deacetylase (HDAC), and how HDAC inhibition can affect drug-taking and drug-seeking behaviors differently among enriched, isolated, or standard-housed rats. Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats were reared for 30 days in enriched (EC), isolated (IC), or standard (SC) conditions prior to amphetamine (0.03, 0.05, 0.1 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) self-administration, extinction, or reinstatement sessions. Trichostatin A (TsA; 0.3 mg/kg, i.v.), an HDAC inhibitor, was injected 30 min prior to drug-taking or drug-seeking sessions. Results indicated that EC rats self-administered less amphetamine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion) than IC rats. No significant effects of TsA administration were found on general self-administration for any of the three amphetamine doses. While enrichment facilitated the extinction of active lever pressing, there was also a mild facilitation of extinction in IC-TsA rats compared to IC-vehicle counterparts. Lastly, TsA administration decreased cue-, but not drug-induced reinstatement, with IC-TsA rats exhibiting significantly attenuated cue-induced reinstatement compared to IC-vehicle rats. These findings suggest that differential rearing can alter HDAC mechanisms that can change drug-seeking behaviors, particularly in rats reared in isolated conditions. While TsA-induced HDAC inhibition may be less protective against general amphetamine self-administration, it may decrease drug-seeking tendencies during relapse that are induced by the reintroduction of contextual environmental cues heavily associated with drug reward.
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Rodriguez, Paloma. "Operant and Respondent Procedures to Establish Social Stimuli as Reinforcers in Children with Autism." FIU Digital Commons, 2013. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/961.
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According to the DSM-IV- TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), one of the core deficits in autism is in the impairment of social interaction. Some have suggested that underlying these deficits is the reality that individuals with autism do not find social stimuli to be as reinforcing as other types of stimuli (Dawson, 2008). An interesting and growing body of literature supports the notion that symptoms in autism may be caused by a general reduction in social motivation (Chevallier et al., 2012). A review of the literature suggests that social orienting and social motivation are low in individuals with autism, and including social motivation as a target for therapeutic intervention should be pursued (Helt et al., 2008). Through our understanding of learning processes, researchers in behavior analysis and related fields have been able to use conditioning procedures to change the function of neutral or ineffective stimuli, including tokens (Ayllon & Azrin, 1968), facial expressions (Gewirtz & Pelaez-Nogueras, 1992) and praise (Dozier et al., 2012). The current study aimed to use operant and respondent procedures to condition social stimuli that were empirically shown to not be reinforcing prior to conditioning. Further, this study aimed to compare the two procedures in their effectiveness to condition social stimuli to function as reinforcers, and in their maintenance of effects over time. Using a multiple-baseline, multi-element design, one social stimulus was conditioned under each procedure to compare the different response rates following conditioning. Finally, the study sought to determine if conditioning social stimuli to function as reinforcers had any effect on the social functioning of young children with autism. Six children diagnosed with autism between the ages of 18 months and 3 years participated. Results show that the respondent procedure (pairing) resulted in more robust and enduring effects than the operant procedure (Sd procedure). Results of a social communication assessment (ESCS, Mundy et al., 2003) before and after conditioning demonstrate gains in all areas of social communication, particularly in the areas of initiating and responding to joint attention.
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SPENCER, ROBERT LEON. "TOLERANCE DEVELOPMENT TO THE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL: ROLE OF BEHAVIORAL THERMOREGULATORY RESPONSES (BODY TEMPERATURE, CLASSICAL CONDITIONING, OPERANT LEARNING)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/183874.
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The mechanisms which account for the diminished responsiveness (tolerance) of an individual to a drug, as a result of prior exposure to that drug, are not yet fully understood. Recently, it has been suggested that drug tolerance is a learned adaptive response. This possibility was examined by studying the effect of ethanol on body temperature and behavioral thermoregulatory responses of Sprague-Dawley rats. Two major studies were conducted. The first study examined the initial dose-related effects of ethanol (1, 2, or 3 g/kg i.p.); the second study examined the effect of ethanol (2.5 g/kg i.p.) administered on 14 consecutive days. Rats were tested in a thermocline, a hollo plexiglass tube in which a linear temperature gradient (6-36°C) was established through local heating and cooling of opposite ends of the tube. The position of rats in the thermocline was detected by a series of infrared light emitting diodes and photocells. The body temperature of rats in the thermocline was transmitted by a temperature sensitive telemetry capsule surgically placed in the peritoneal cavity. Validation studies demonstrated that rats reliably responded to temperature cues within the thermocline. In the first experiment ethanol produced a dose-related decrease in body temperature. All rats following injection initially selected an ambient temperature cooler than baseline. Rats receiving control treatment or the high dose of ethanol eventually shifted to a warmer ambient temperature. Activity levels were depressed equally by all three doses of ethanol. In the second experiment tolerance developed to the hypothermic effect of ethanol. A diminished response to ethanol was evident by the second test day and was maximal by day 7. Ethanol treated rats selected a cooler ambient temperature than control rats throughout the 14 day period, and activity levels continued to be depressed by ethanol throughout the 14 days. On the fifteenth day all rats were given an injection of saline. Rats which had previously received daily ethanol injections exhibited a hyperthermic response to saline compared to control rats. These results suggest that ethanol altered the central control of thermoregulation by lowering and possibly broadening the thermoregulatory set point. There was evidence for a conditioned hyperthermic response, but not a learned behavioral response, which contributed to the tolerance development.
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Grada, Heather B. "Programming common stimuli to promote generalization of academic skills with elementary school children." abstract and full text PDF (free order & download UNR users only), 2007. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1442858.
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Oldenburg, Ian Anton. "Basal Ganglia Modulation of Cortical Firing Rates in a Behaving Animal." Thesis, Harvard University, 2014. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13094354.
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Motor cortex, basal ganglia (BG), and thalamus are anatomically arranged in a recurrent loop whose activity is hypothesized to be involved in the selection of motor actions. Direct (dSPN) and indirect (iSPN) striatal projection neurons receive excitatory input from cortex, and are thought to oppositely modulate cortical activity via BG output to thalamus. Here, we test the central tenets of this model in head-restrained mice performing an operant conditioning task using optogenetic manipulation of dSPNs and iSPNs to determine the effects of activity in each pathway on primary motor cortex. We find that dSPN and iSPN activation has bidirectional, robust, and rapid effects on motor cortex that are highly context-dependent, with distinct effects of each pathway during quiescent and active periods. Thus, the effects of activity in each pathway are at times antagonistic and consistent with classic models, whereas in other behavioral contexts the two pathways will work in the same direction or have no effect at all. In a separate but related project, we describe a direct projection from the globus pallidus externa (GP), a central nucleus of the BG, to frontal regions of the cerebral cortex (FC), which is not typically included in models of BG function. Two cell types make up the GP-FC projection, distinguished by their electrophysiological properties, cortical projection patterns and expression of choline acyteltransferase (ChAT), a genetic marker for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These cholinergic GP cells receive basal ganglia input and bidirectionally modulate firing in FC of awake mice. Since GP-FC cells receive dopamine sensitive inhibition from iSPNs and dSPNs, this circuit reveals a pathway by which neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals can act in the BG and yet modulate frontal cortices. Together, these two projects expand our understanding of the complexities of basal ganglia circuitry and its interactions with cortex.
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Schepers, Scott Timothy. "The Effects of Reinforcer Distribution During Response Elimination on Resurgence of an Instrumental Response." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2014. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/280.
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Resurgence is the relapse of an extinguished instrumental behavior that can occur when an alternative behavior that was introduced to replace it is itself extinguished. In a typical resurgence experiment, rats are trained to make a response (R1) for food reinforcers. In a second phase, responses on R1 are no longer reinforced, but a new response (R2) is introduced and responses on it are reinforced. During a third phase, reinforcement for R2 is removed and behavior on R1 often returns (or "resurges") despite remaining on extinction.
The current experiments were designed to examine the effects of the temporal distribution of reinforcers delivered during Phase 2 on later resurgence. The role of these alternative reinforcers is central to theories that have been proposed to account for resurgence. The experiments provided a special opportunity to contrast predictions made by the Shahan-Sweeney Model (Shahan & Sweeney, 2011) and a contextual account of resurgence (Winterbauer & Bouton, 2010).
Experiments 1 and 2 examined resurgence when alternative reinforcement during Phase 2 was delivered according to the same set of daily reinforcement schedules presented in different orders. That is, one group received rich reinforcement rates that were gradually thinned to leaner ones (Group Thinning) and another group received lean rates that were gradually increased to richer ones (Group Reverse Thinning). Both procedures weakened resurgence compared to that in a group that received the richest rate (a variable interval, or VI 10-s schedule that arranged for a reinforcer to be available for a response every 10s on average) during all of the Phase 2 sessions. However, the forward thinning procedure was more effective than the reverse thinning procedure at eliminating the resurgence effect.
Experiment 3 examined resurgence when alternative reinforcement was only available for R2 during every other session. The results indicated that daily alternations of a VI 10-s schedule with an extinction schedule for R2 weakened resurgence compared to groups that either received the same average rate over the entire phase (VI 17.5-s) or that received the same terminal rate (VI 10-s) in every session.
The Shahan-Sweeney model cannot account for several of the current results. Instead, the results are most consistent with a contextual account of resurgence. That is, resurgence can be conceptualized as an ABC renewal effect in which extinguished R1 behavior returns when an animal is removed from an extinction "context" provided by R2 reinforcement. Lean reinforcement rates at any time during Phase 2 allow the animal to learn to inhibit R1 under conditions that generalize to the extinction conditions that prevail during the resurgence test. The results also suggest that experience with alternating extinction sessions or lean reinforcement rates close to the final resurgence test are especially effective at eliminating the resurgence effect.
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Warme, Geoffrey Todd. "The explication and application of a homeostatic shift framework to place conditioning measures during ethanol withdrawal." Oklahoma City : [s.n.], 2006.
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Murrey, Nicole A. Rosales-Ruiz Jesus. "The effects of combining positive and negative reinforcement during training." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3636.
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Didion, Jeremy E. "Color Perception and Object Recognition in a Lake Malawian Cichlid Melanochromis Auratus." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1344885435.
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Young, Jennica. "THE USE OF THE DIG TASK TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MAGNESIUM ON RECOVERY OF FUNCTION AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY." OpenSIUC, 2016. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1915.
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After sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a person’s ability to make daily decisions can be affected. Simple tasks such as, deciding what to wear are no longer effortless choices, but are instead difficult decisions. Incorporating behavioral assays that address decision-making skills after TBI can help a pharmacological treatment become easily translatable, as it is specifically assessing a certain aspect of cognitive functioning. Magnesium is a multimodal treatment that can decrease apoptosis, decrease breakdown of the blood brain barrier, and lessen brain edema after a TBI, which can affect the recovery of a patient. A discrimination task was used in conjunction with a magnesium treatment in order to examine how decision-making is affected after TBI and if the treatment helps to attenuate cognitive and motor deficits. Thirty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats (Harlan, Indianapolis, IN) were used and separated into MAG/TBI, VEH/TBI, or VEH/Sham groups. Before induction of a bilateral frontal injury, rats were shaped to learn to dig in the sand for a reinforcer and then pre-trained on the dig task. After surgery, rats received either an i.p. injection of 2 mmol/kg magnesium chloride or 0.1% phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Magnesium injections occurred 4 hours post-surgery, then at 24 hours and at 72 hours. Dig task testing began 7 days post-injury, lasting for 4 weeks. The discriminations included two scent pairings; basil (baited) versus coffee then the reversal and then cocoa (baited) versus cumin then the reversal. The locomotor placing task was conducted in order to assess for the recovery of motor function after TBI. Fear conditioning was also conducted to examine the role of extinction after TBI. The results indicated that the magnesium treatment was successful at attenuating cognitive and motor deficits after TBI. The results also indicated that the dig task is a sufficient operant conditioning task in the assessment of frontal functioning after TBI. The fear conditioning procedures, however, failed to produce significant results. Discrimination testing and a magnesium treatment both have the potential to positively impact the millions of people suffering from a TBI.
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Guerra, Luiz Guilherme Gomes Cardim. "Princípios de condicionamento à luz da análise neural do estímulo antecedente." Universidade de São Paulo, 2006. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/47/47135/tde-28052006-213453/.
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A participação de estímulos e respostas em contingências não depende de sua origem interna ou externa. O ponto relevante é que a natureza funcional dos termos da contingência baseie-se em leis comportamentais. Nesse sentido, eventos neurais são também comportamentais, e assim podem permitir a observação de mecanismos básicos da aprendizagem. No presente trabalho, fez-se o exame desses mecanismos com vistas a verificar se a base neural dos paradigmas de condicionamento respondente e operante compartilha o princípio de que o reforço seleciona relações entre estímulos antecedentes e respostas. Tais relações ocorreriam devido ao fortalecimento de conexões sinápticas que vinculam os eventos de contingências. Aqui o estímulo antecedente tem importância crítica, pois a entrada sináptica para a evocação da resposta supostamente depende do sinal por ele gerado. O estímulo antecedente é sempre o evento presente no momento em que o organismo comporta-se, seja eliciando respostas reflexas, seja gerando a ocasião para a emissão de respostas operantes. Foram agrupados dados da literatura científica que propiciaram a comparação dos condicionamentos, com foco na função do estímulo antecedente. O resultado desta pesquisa abrangeu os seguintes aspectos: vias e mecanismos centrais de reforço, antecedentes neurais de resposta motora, antecedentes neurais em processos de discriminação comportamental, e plasticidade neural na aprendizagem. A literatura de bases neurais do comportamento forneceu vasto material para a análise de processos celulares e circuitos neurais envolvidos na aprendizagem, e indicou que a atividade do neurotransmissor dopamina modula o condicionamento em moluscos e mamíferos; a dopamina também atua como um sinal de discrepância comportamental nas vias neurais do reforço positivo que se dirigem a uma estrutura básica do reforço, o núcleo accumbens; neurônios corticais estão envolvidos no controle de estímulos, liberando preferencialmente glutamato pela via do estímulo antecedente, seja CS ou SD; o condicionamento respondente depende de alteração de eficácia sináptica no cerebelo de mamíferos, e não se conhece ainda se o mesmo ocorre no operante; em preparações in vivo e in vitro, verificou-se que os efeitos de ambos os condicionamentos convergem para um mesmo neurônio motor de molusco, embora tenham diferido as propriedades de plasticidade desse neurônio; eventos neurais podem participar de contingência operante como quaisquer de seus termos, e respostas neurais operantes e discriminativas podem de modo confiável preceder respostas motoras, o que sugere um indício de atividade cognitiva de mesma natureza que a atividade neural correlacionada com relações simbólicas. O presente trabalho mostrou vários casos de relações entre estímulos antecedentes e respostas no nível neural, nos quais foram verificados pontos de convergência e de divergência entre os paradigmas de condicionamento, que permitiram avançar no conhecimento do reforço. No sentido desse avanço, ainda foram propostas pesquisas julgadas pertinentes.Stimuli and responses take part in reinforcement contingencies regardless of their internal or external locus of origin. The relevant point is that the functional nature of the contingency terms be based on behavioral laws. In that sense, neural events are also behavioral events, and as such they may allow for the observation of basic mechanisms of learning. In the present study, these mechanisms were examined in order to verify whether the neural basis of respondent and operant conditioning share the principle that reinforcement selects relationships between antecedent stimuli and responses. Such relationships presumably occur due to the strengthening of synaptic connections linking the contingency events. The antecedent stimulus is critical in this strengthening effect, since the synaptic input evoking a response is supposed to depend on that signal. The antecedent stimulus is the current event at the moment the organism is behaving, its function being either eliciting reflex responses or setting the occasion for operant responses. Scientific data that favored a comparison between the two conditioning processes were grouped together, with a focus on the antecedent stimulus function. The resulting analysis comprehended the following aspects: central pathways and mechanisms of reinforcement, neural antecedents of motor responses, neural antecedents in behavioral discrimination processes, and cellular plasticity in learning. The literature on the neural basis of behavior provided extensive material for the analysis of cellular processes and neural circuits involved in learning, indicating that the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine modulates conditioning in molluscs and mammals; dopamine also acts as a behavioral discrepancy signal in the neural pathways of positive reinforcement, which lead to the nucleus accumbens, a basic structure in reinforcement; cortical neurons are involved in stimulus control, as they preferentially deliver glutamate through the CS or SD antecedent stimulus pathway; respondent conditioning depends on changes in synaptic efficacy in the cerebellum of mammals, and it is not known yet if the same occurs in operant processes; in vivo and in vitro mollusc preparations showed that the effects of both conditionings converge on the same motor neuron, although producing different plastic properties; neural events may enter an operant contingency as any of its terms, and operant and discriminative neural responses can reliably precede motor responses, suggesting a trace of cognitive activity of the same nature as the neural activity correlated with symbolic relations. The present study disclosed several instances of relationships between antecedent stimuli and responses at the neural level of analysis, pointing to convergent and divergent spots between the two conditioning paradigms that led to progress in the knowledge of reinforcement. In line with this progress, research proposals were advanced.
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Simmons, Jason N. "Immediate and subsequent effects of fixed-time food presentations on automatically maintained mouthing." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2001. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2997/.
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Several studies have demonstrated that fixed-time (FT) schedules of stimulus delivery can function to reduce a variety of behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and subsequent effects of FT food deliveries on mouthing. In Phase 1, a preference assessment showed that caramel popcorn, chocolate cookies and pretzels were highly preferred food items. Thus, providing the basis for use of food items during treatment. In Phase 2, a functional analysis showed that mouthing was a nonsocially maintained problem behavior. Phase 3 demonstrated the use of FT schedules of food deliveries as treatment for nonsocially maintained mouthing. Results indicated that FT schedules of food significantly reduced mouthing. In addition, levels of mouthing observed during post-FT observations were reliably lower than pre-FT observations. Treatment effects, operative mechanisms responsible for the treatment effects and the experimental arrangement used to investigate varying FT schedules are discussed.
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Bernardes, Ana Martins Torres. "Efeito de enriquecimento ambiental na auto-administração oral de álcool em ratos." Universidade de São Paulo, 2008. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/47/47135/tde-05062008-172705/.
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Esta pesquisa estuda a relação entre o ambiente em que ratos se desenvolvem e a auto-administração de etanol (ET) na idade adulta. Usualmente, a pesquisa comportamental com animais em laboratório utiliza sujeitos mantidos em isolamento em caixas individuasi (I). Uma das espécies mais usadas é o rato, um animal social que em habitat natural vive em colônias. Que efeitos tem o isolamento nesses ratos? Propõe-se que a baixa disponibilidade de reforçadores alternativos seja um dos fatores determinantes do abuso de drogas. Algumas pesquisas mostraram que o isolamento, que caracteriza ambientes de baixa disponibilidade de reforçadores, leva a um aumento no consumo de morfina, anfetamina e barbital em relação a ratos criados em ambientes com maior disponibilidade de reforçadores (AE), e mais ET comparados a animais criados em grupo. No entanto, outras pesquisas observaram que animais criados em AE consomem mais ET do que animais criados em isolamento. Utilizando medidas de comportamento operante de ingestão de ET, o presente experimento visou observar se a disponibilidade de reforçadores no ambiente de criação e/ou concorrentes ao álcool no ambiente experimental altera o consumo, o valor reforçador e a elasticidade da demanda dessa droga. Ratos Wistar machos foram criados em I ou em AE. O consumo e o valor reforçador do ET foram medidos nos esquemas operantes de FR2 e Razão Progressiva (RP), respectivamente. O ET foi introduzido por fade in/fade out de sacarose, culminando numa solução de ET 10% adoçada com sacarina 0,25%. O teste de RP foi conduzido para solução de ET, depois para sacarina. Os animais foram submetidos também ao teste de ansiedade no labirinto em cruz elevado e sua atividade motora foi estimada em caixa de atividade. Os ratos I consumiram e responderam significativamente mais pelo ET comparados aos ratos AE. Os ratos I evidenciaram aumento do valor reforçador do ET, mas não da sacarina, medido em RP, quando comparados aos do grupo AE. Os grupos AE e I não apresentaram diferenças significativas em ansiedade. Os animais do grupo I mostraram-se significativamente mais ativos do que os do grupo AE. A elasticidade da demanda foi medida em um modelo concorrente no qual uma alternativa dispensava solução de ET e a outra uma solução isocalórica ao ET, e as exigências em VR foram aumentadas progressivamente, primeiro para a alternativa isocalórica, e depois para o ET. A introdução de reforçadores concorrentes alterou o consumo de ET dos animais criados em I sem alterar o comportamento dos animais criados em AE. A criação nos diferentes ambientes não alterou a elasticidade da demanda por ET, porém alterou a elasticidade da demanda pelo reforçador concorrente. Os animais do grupo I, apesar de consumirem significativamente mais da solução alternativa ao ET, apresentaram uma demanda mais elástica em relação a esse reforçador quando comparados aos do grupo AE. A dependência de drogas, e do álcool em especial, pode e deve ser entendida dentro das mesmas leis que regulam o comportamento em geral, e os modelos de escolha são essenciais para essa compreensão.This research investigated the influence of different types of rearing environment on ethanol (ET) self-administration in adult rats. Usually behavioral research is conducted using isolated animals (I), one widely used animal is the rat, a social animal that under normal circumstances lives at large colonies. What kind of effects could this unnatural isolation have? It has been proposed that one major factor in drug abuse and dependence is the lack for alternative reinforcers to the drug. Animals raised in limited environments with few reinforcers (I) consume more morphine, amphetamine and barbital than animals raised in enriched environments (EE), which present different opportunities of behavior. These isolated rats have also been shown to consume more ET; however, there are some contradictory results within studies: some have even shown enhanced consumption in EE rats. The present study proposed to investigate whether differential presence of reinforcers during rearing or concurrently to the presentation of ET would influence its consumption, reiforcer value and demand elasticity. Male Wistar rats were raised either in EE or I. Using a self administration paradigm, consumption and reiforcer value were estimated in a FR2 and Progressive Ratio (PR), respectively. ET was introduced by fade in as sucrose was faded out from the solution, resulting in a 10% ET solution sweetened with saccharin 0,25% as the reinforcer solution. The PR procedure was first conducted using the ET solution and then with just the saccharin solution (vehicle). Anxiety was estimated using the elevated cross maze model, and motor activity was accessed in the activity box. I rats consumed and responded more for ET than EE rats in FR2 schedule. They also presented higher reiforcer value for ET in the PR paradigm, but not for saccharin, when compared to EE rats. There was no significant difference between groups in anxiety levels, but I rats were significantly more active. Using a concurrent model, with ET solution and an isochaloric solution as reiforcers, the demand elasticity was accessed by increasingly VRs, first for the isochaloric alternative, then for the ET solution. The introduction of an isochaloric concurrent reiforcer altered ET consumption of I rats, without affecting EE rats consumption. Groups did not differ in demand elasticity for ET, but it was shown that this demand is relatively inelastic while demand for the isochaloric solution is very elastic, especially for I rats, though. I rats consumed more isochaloric solutions than EE rats. Drug abuse and dependency must be understood using the same laws that regulate so called normal behavior, these phenomena do not belong to a special category, and choice models are essential for that understanding.
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Svoke, Joseph T. "Perception of Color Vision In the Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea)." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2011. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/biology_theses/31.
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Color vision can affect our assumptions of an animals’ natural history. It can be determined by testing sensory or perception ability, which was employed here. Two Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinerea), of opposite sexes, housed at ZooAtlanta, were trained via operant conditioning to discriminate stimuli within 7 tasks, primarily in a two-choice fashion. Varying shades of the colors blue, green and red were tested against varying greys, all which differed in intensity, served as the stimuli for the first 4 tasks. The remaining 3 tasks, the colors were tested against each other. The male reached criterion for the first 6 tasks, indicating an ability to discriminate the stimuli based on color. The female however participated only in 2, and could not achieve criterion as set, though there were indications of discrimination ability. Taken together with sensory work on two related otter species, Asian small-clawed otters possess color vision.
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Stevanovic, Bettina. "The effect of learning on pitch and speech perception : influencing perception of Shepard tones and McGurk syllables using classical and operant conditioning principles." Thesis, View thesis, 2007. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/33694.
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This thesis is concerned with describing and experimentally investigating the nature of perceptual learning. Ecological psychology defines perceptual learning as a process of educating attention to structural properties of stimuli (i.e., invariants) that specify meaning (i.e., affordances) to the perceiver. Although such definition comprehensively describes the questions of what humans learn to perceive, it does not address the question of how learning occurs. It is proposed in this thesis that the principles of classical and operant conditioning can be used to strengthen and expand the ecological account of perceptual learning. The perceptual learning of affordances is described in terms of learning that a stimulus is associated with another stimulus (classical conditioning), and in terms of learning that interacting with a stimulus is associated with certain consequences (operant conditioning). Empirical work in this thesis investigated the effect of conditioning on pitch and speech perception. Experiments 1, 2, and 3 were designed to modify pitch perception in Shepard tones via tone-colour associative training. During training, Shepard tones were paired with coloured circles in a way that the colour of the circles could be predicted by either the F0 (pitch) or by an F0-irrelevant auditory invariant. Participants were required to identify the colour of the circles that was associated with the tones and they received corrective feedback. Hypotheses were based on the assumption that F0-relevant/F0- irrelevant conditioning would increase/decrease the accuracy of pitch perception in Shepard tones. Experiment 1 investigated the difference between F0-relevant and F0- irrelevant conditioning in a between-subjects design, and found that pitch perception in the two conditions did not differ. Experiments 2 and 3 investigated the effect of F0- relevant and F0-irrelevant conditioning (respectively) on pitch perception using a within subjects (pre-test vs. post-test) design. It was found that the accuracy of pitch perception increased after F0-relevant conditioning, and was unaffected by F0-irrelevant conditioning. The differential trends observed in Experiments 2 and 3 suggest that conditioning played some role in influencing pitch perception. However, the question whether the observed trends were due to the facilitatory effect of F0-relevant conditioning or the inhibitory effect of F0-irrelevant conditioning warrants future investigation. Experiments 4, 5, and 6 were designed to modify the perception of McGurk syllables (i.e., auditory /b/ paired with visual /g/) via consonant-pitch associative training. During training, participants were repeatedly presented with /b/, /d/, and /g/ consonants in falling, flat, and rising pitch contours, respectively. Pitch contour was paired with either the auditory signal (Experiments 4 and 5) or the visual signal (Experiment 6) of the consonant. Participants were required to identify the stop consonants and they received corrective feedback. The perception of McGurk stimuli was tested before and after training by asking participants to identify the stop consonant in each stimulus as /b/ or /d/ or /g/. It was hypothesized that conditioning would increase (1) /b/ responses more in the falling than in the flat/ rising contour conditions, (2) /d/ responses more in the flat than in the falling/ rising contour conditions, and (3) /g/ responses more in the rising than in the falling/flat contour conditions. Support for the hypotheses was obtained in Experiments 5 and 6, but only in one response category (i.e., /b/ and /g/ response categories, respectively). It is suggested that the subtlety of the observed conditioning effect could be enhanced by increasing the salience of pitch contour and by reducing the clarity of auditory/visual invariants that specify consonants.
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Stevanovic, Bettina. "The effect of learning on pitch and speech perception influencing perception of Shepard tones and McGurk syllables using classical and operant conditioning principles /." View thesis, 2007. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/33694.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007.A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Psychology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliography.
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Soderlund, Michael J. "A parametric analysis of the immediate and subsequent effects of response restriction on hand mouthing." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4145/.
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The immediate and subsequent effects of different durations of response restriction were evaluated in a multiple schedule design. Response restriction components of 15, 30, and 60 minutes were conducted between 15 minute alone components. Levels of responding subsequent to the termination of response restriction procedures were compared to free operant levels prior to the implementation of response restriction. Responding during response restriction components reduced to near zero levels. Subsequent levels of responding were similar to or exceeded free operant baseline levels. Results are discussed in terms of potential operant mechanisms responsible for levels of responding subsequent to response restriction.
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Parsons, Teresa Camille. "Effects of Concurrent Fixed Interval-fixed Ratio Schedules of Reinforcement on Human Responding." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2005. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4846/.
Full textAbstract:
The present study contributes an apparatus and research paradigm useful in generating human performances sensitive to concurrent schedules of reinforcement. Five participants produced performances observed to be under temporal and ratio control of concurrent fixed interval-fixed ratio schedules. Two aspects of interaction between FI and FR schedules were distinguishable in the data. First, interaction between two schedules was observed in that changes in the value of one schedule affected behavior reinforced on another schedule. Second, switching from one pattern to the other functioned as an operant unit, showing stability during schedule maintenance conditions and sensitivity to extinction. These effects are discussed in the context of current views on behavior under concurrent schedules of reinforcement, and some implications for the conceptualization, measurement, analysis, and treatment of complex behavior are presented.
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Manella, Kathleen J. "Operant Conditioning of Tibialis Anterior and Soleus H-reflex Improves Spinal Reflex Modulation and Walking Function in Individuals with Motor-Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury." Scholarly Repository, 2011. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/679.
Full textAbstract:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) manifests signs of spasticity, plantar flexor (PF) hyperreflexia and ankle clonus, and deficits in motor function. In individuals with motor-incomplete SCI (MISCI), ankle clonus may limit independent walking function. Ankle clonus is attributed to enhanced soleus stretch reflex (SSR) excitability due to decreased supraspinal input and maladaptive reorganization of spinal reflex circuitry. We explored these questions: 1. What are the biomechanical, clinical, and neurophysiologic correlates of ankle clonus? 2. Does locomotor training improve ankle clonus and walking function? 3. Will operant conditioning-based interventions that increase tibialis anterior activation or decrease soleus reflex excitability improve ankle motor control and walking function? In Chapter 2 we compared Ankle Clonus Drop Test (Drop Test) measures with clinical and neurophysiologic measures. Drop Test measures were highly reliable and exhibited moderate to strong correlations with clinical and neurophysiologic measures. Analysis of EMG activity during clonus revealed a predominant pattern of antagonist coactivation. In Chapter 3 we investigated the effects of locomotor training on PF and quadriceps spasticity, and walking function. We assessed responsiveness of the PF reflex threshold angle, a Drop Test measure of PF spasticity. PF and quadriceps spasticity decreased after locomotor training and were moderately correlated with increased walking speed. The PF reflex threshold angle measure discriminated between individuals with and without clonus. In Chapter 4 we compared the effects of two operant-conditioning based interventions to, (1) increase TA EMG activation (TA↑) and (2) decrease SOL H-reflex amplitude during active dorsiflexion (SOL↓), on reflex modulation, ankle motor control, and walking function. Each intervention improved walking function; however, modulated the variables in unique ways. TA↑ improved deficits of strength and range of motion, and SOL↓ improved modulation of SSR and SOL/TA coactivation. In Chapter 5 we discussed implications of our conclusions: (1) Drop Test ankle clonus measures are valid, reliable, and responsive; (2) antagonist coactivation was predominant during ankle clonus; (3) in individuals with chronic MISCI, locomotor training decreased PF and quadriceps spasticity and improved walking function; and (4) an operant conditioning-based intervention to either increase TA strength or decrease SOL reflex excitability improved spinal reflex modulation and walking function.
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Montalban, Enrica. "Long-lasting effects of operant conditioning and cocaine on D1 pyramidal neurons in prefrontal cortex and on the D1 and D2 striatal neurons mRNAs." Thesis, Paris 6, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016PA066723/document.
Full textAbstract:
La dopamine (DA) contrôle l'apprentissage lié à la récompense en régulant l'activité et la plasticité de la transmission corticostrialale. Les effets à long terme de la DA impliquent des changements dans la transcription des gènes. Le but de ce travail de thèse est d'étudier les changements transcriptionnels produit dans le striatum ventral, dorsal et cortex préfrontal, par un protocole d'apprentissage opérant ou après une activation du système de la récompense par des injections de cocaïne. Les neurones épineux moyens du striatum peuvent être séparé en deux populations fonctionnelles sur la base de l'expression du récepteur de type 1 de la DA (D1R) ou de type 2 (D2R). Des souris transgéniques expriment une protéine ribosomale étiqueté avec la GFP sous le contrôle du promoteur de D1R ou D2R ont été utilisés afin d'isoler les ARN messagers (ARNm) des neurones D1 ou D2. La première partie de ce travail est centré sur la comparaison de l'expression des gènes dans les différentes populations neuronales exprimant le D1R ou D2R appartenant aux différentes régions d'intérêt, ce qui apporte une caractérisation précise nouvelle des neurones cibles de la DA. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons caractérisé les modifications produites dans chaque population neuronale par une stimulation passive du système de récompense (traitement chronique à la cocaïne) ou un recrutement actif (apprentissage opérant pour la nourriture)Dopamine (DA) controls movement execution, action selection, and incentive learning by regulating the activity and plasticity of corticostriatal transmission. Long-term modifications require changes in gene transcription. The aim of this work is to study the changes in transcriptions following an operant learning protocol or mimicking stimulation of the reward system with cocaine in the dorsal striatum and the nucleus accumbens in the striatum, and in the prefrontal cortex. The medium-size spiny striatal projection neurons (SPNs) can be divided into 2 different populations based on the expression of the D1 or D2 DA receptor that participate in distinct pathways, which have opposite functional effects on their target regions. We used transgenic mice that express a tagged ribosomal protein (L10a-EGFP) under control of the D1 or D2 receptor promoter to isolate currently translated mRNA and nuclei from each population of SPNs, as well as from D1 neurons of the prefrontal cortex following passive stimulation of the reward system (chronic treatment with cocaine) and active recruitment of the reward system (operant learning for food). Firstly we compared the basal gene expression in the different neuronal populations characterized by the expression of D1 or D2 receptors and their regional localization. We identified hundreds of differentially expressed mRNA providing a precise characterization of the cellular and regional differences. In the second part, we characterized the changes induced in each neuronal population by a 1-week exposure to cocaine or after operant training for food
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Perna, Marla K., Yoko O. Henderson, Christopher L. Bruner, and Russell W. Brown. "An Analysis of Nicotine Conditioned Place Conditioning in Early Postweanling and Adolescent Rats Neonatally Treated with Quinpirole." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6342.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated nicotine place conditioning in early postweanling and adolescent male and female rats neonatally treated with quinpirole, a dopamine D(2)/D(3) agonist. Previous research has shown that neonatal quinpirole treatment results in an increase of dopamine D(2)-like receptor sensitivity that persists throughout the animal's lifetime, relevant to psychosis. Rats were neonatally treated with quinpirole or saline from postnatal day (P)1-21, and animals were conditioned with nicotine or saline daily from P23-30 as early postweanlings or P32-39 as adolescents in a two- or three-chambered place conditioning apparatus. A drug free test was given on P31 for early postweanlings, and P40 for adolescents. Results on the two chamber apparatus revealed that nicotine increased time spent in the drug-paired context at both ages tested. Neonatal quinpirole treatment resulted in less time spent in the drug-paired context in early postweanling males and increased time spent in the drug-paired context in adolescent females conditioned with nicotine. Adolescent females neonatally treated with saline and conditioned with nicotine on the two chamber apparatus did not differ from controls. On the three-chambered apparatus, nicotine increased time spent in the drug-paired context in both ages tested, which was blocked by neonatal quinpirole in early postweanling males, but enhanced by neonatal quinpirole treatment in adolescents. These results demonstrate both age and sex differences in the effects of nicotine and point to significant differences in performance depending on the apparatus used. Additionally, neonatal quinpirole enhanced the effects of nicotine, but this is true only in adolescents and task-dependent.
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Jenkins, Juliet. "The Effects of Two Types of Consequence Delivery on Task Acquisition." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2005. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4868/.
Full textAbstract:
The effects of two consequence delivery methods on task acquisition were evaluated within a multi-element design. A typical 3 year-old child and a 4 year-old child with autism participated in this study. The task for both children was to select a picture after the experimenter said its name. The consequence in one condition consisted of the experimenter handing the edible item to the children. The consequence in the other condition consisted of the children retrieving the edible item directly from the apparatus, located in a crevice underneath each picture. Results show slightly quicker acquisition in the condition where children retrieved the edible consequence. However, it is possible that other variables had greater influence on the task acquisition.
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Dorey, Nicole R. "Functional analysis and elimination of SIB in an olive baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis)." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2004. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4623/.
Full textAbstract:
Self injurious behavior (SIB), such as self-biting and head-banging, has been reported to occur in approximately 10% of captive, individually housed primates (Novak, Kinsely, Jorgensen, and Hazen, 1998). Accounts of the causes of SIB range from environmental to physiological. However, to date, no researchers have investigated the possible influence of social consequences, delivered by handlers and keepers, in the maintenance of SIB. There is only one research report showing that self-injury can be shaped in primates by the manipulation of food as a reinforcing consequence for the animal's behavior. The current study investigated the effects of social contact as potentially reinforcing consequences for the SIB displayed by an olive baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis). Results indicated that the behavior was maintained by attention from humans. As treatment, reinforcement was arranged for an appropriate alternative attention-getting behavior, resulting in increases in the appropriate alternative behavior and decreases in SIB.