Ribes-Iñesta, E., & Torres, C. (2000).
The spatial distribution of behavior under varying frequencies of temporally scheduled water delivery.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
73, 195-210.
Two studies evaluated the effects of response-independent water
deliveries on the location (on the floor of the experimental
chamber) and position (height) of rats' behavior. In both
experiments, fixed- time schedules delivered water in two
dispensers that were located at opposite ends of the chamber. In
Experiment 1, the two schedules provided complementary
frequencies of water deliveries while the overall number of
deliveries stayed constant. In Experiment 2, one of the schedules
delivered water twice as frequently as the other; this proportion
was kept constant while the overall density of water deliveries
changed systematically. In both experiments, a single position
(height) of behavior was dominant. Also, the percentage of time
allocated to each dispenser was roughly proportional to the
percentage of water deliveries associated with the dispensers.
These data and additional considerations support the importance
of examining the spatial properties and patterning of behavior.
Key words: fixed-time schedules, time allocation, location of
behavior, position of behavior, spatial distribution, rats