Cole, M. R. (2001).
The long-term effect of high- and low-rate responding histories on fixed interval responding in rats.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
75, 43-54.
Ten rats were given extended lever press training on a
fixed-interval (FI) 30s food reinforcement schedule from the
outset or following exposure to one or two previous reinforcement
schedules. For 4 rats the previous schedule was either
fixed-ratio 20, which generated high response rates, or
differential reinforcement of low rate 20s, which produced low
response rates. For 4 additional rats the extended training on FI
30 s was preceded by experience with two schedules: fixed-ratio
20 followed by differential reinforcement of low rate 20s; or
the same two schedules in the reverse order. Fixed interval
response rates were initially affected by the immediately
preceding schedule, but after 80 to 100 sessions, all traces of
prior schedule history had disappeared. The results also showed
no long-term effect of schedule history on the interfood-
interval patterns of responding on the FI 30s schedule. These
results support one of the most central tenets of the
experimental analysis of behavior: control by the immediate
consequences of behavior.
Key words: fixed interval, fixed ratio, differential
reinforcement of low rates, schedule history, lever press, rats