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. 2021 Sep;49(3):330-342.
doi: 10.3758/s13420-021-00464-7. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Longer operant lever-press duration requirements induce fewer but longer response bouts in rats

Ryan J Brackney  1   2 , Raul Garcia  1   3 , Federico Sanabria  4
Affiliations

Longer operant lever-press duration requirements induce fewer but longer response bouts in rats

Ryan J Brackney et al. Learn Behav. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Operant behavior is organized in bouts that are particularly visible under variable-interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement. Previous research showed that increasing the work required to produce a response decreases the rate at which bouts are emitted and increases the minimum interresponse time (IRT). In the current study, the minimum effective IRT was directly manipulated by changing the minimum duration of effective lever presses reinforced on a VI 40-s schedule. Contrary to assumptions of previous models, response durations were variable. Response durations were typically 0.5 s greater than the minimum duration threshold; durations that exceeded this threshold were approximately log-normally distributed. As the required duration threshold increased, rats emitted fewer but longer bouts. This effect may reflect an effort-induced reduction in motivation and a duration-induced facilitation of a response-outcome association.

Keywords: Bouts; Duration; Lever press; Rats; Refractory period; Variable interval.

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References

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