Abstract
A changeover procedure was used to study choice of signaled over unsignaled free operant avoidance. Four rats avoided unsignaled shock (RS-20, SS-5) on one lever but, by pressing a second (changeover) lever, they changed the condition to signaled avoidance (5-sec signal) for 60-sec periods. After changeover responding stabilized, the changeover period was gradually reduced from 60 to as low as 5 sec. Three of the subjects continued changing over to the signaled avoidance condition until the period was reduced to below 20 sec. The fourth subject stopped changing to the signaled schedule when the changeover period was reduced to 30 sec. The reduction in changeover responding at the shorter changeover periods was attributed to subjects receiving fewer signals and more shocks
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Culbertson, S., Badia, P. Changeover from unsignaled to signaled avoidance as a function of the changeover period duration. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 9, 159–162 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336960
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336960