A behavioral classification and scoring procedure was developed for observing specific responses of squirrel monkeys. The observational procedure along with the photocell method of measuring general activity were then employed to examine the effects of illumination and d-amphetamine on the behavior of squirrel monkeys. It was found that d-amphetamine decreased the incidence of those behaviors seen normally under light conditions while it increased the frequency of behaviors normally seen in the dark.
Rats with septal lesions and control animals were tested on a multiple schedule. When extinction was instituted in one component of the multiple schedule, septal-lesioned and control animals exhibited approximately equal amounts of positive contrast in the unaltered component. The results were discussed in terms of the situation specificity of the enhanced reaction to nonreward associated with septal damage.The response of the septal-Iesioned animal to withdrawal or omission of reinforcement has been the subject of a n!)mber of investigations (e.g., Butters & Rosvold , 1968;Caplan, 1970;Schwartzbaum, Kellicut, Spieth, & Thompson, 1964). It has generally been found that onusslon of reinforcement is followed by accelerated responding or increased perseveration in the septal-Iesioned animal above control levels. Caplan (1970) found, for example, that when scheduled reinforcement was omitted on a DRL schedule all subjects accelerated their response rates, but the increase was greatest for septal-Iesioned animals. Mabry and Peeler (1972) found, however, that animals with septal lesions and control animals did not differ in response to frustrative nonreward in a double-runway task. Both groups increased running speed and starting speed following omission of reinforcement, but there was no difference in the magnitude of alterations in running speed and starting latency for the two groups of animals.The present study attempted to determine whether the operant nature of the task or some other factor is critical to the observation of an exaggerated response to nonreinforcement in the septal-Iesioned rat. In two experiments, responses of septal-Iesioned and control animals were compared during the formation of a successive discrimination in an operant situation. All animals were initially placed on a multiple schedule in which different schedules of reinforcement were in effect for successive components. Each component was associated with a distinctive cue. After response rates stabilized on a multiple VI VI (MULT VI VI), extinction was instituted in one component (MULT VI EXT). Septal-Iesioned and control animals were compared on behavioral contrast-an increase in response rates in the unaltered VI component. EXPERIMENT I MethodAnimals. Ten Long-Evans male rats seIVed as subjects. Their ages ranged from 120 to ISO days at the beginning of the study. During the course of the study they were housed in individual cages.Apparatus. Training occurred in Lehigh Valley operant chambers placed in sound-atknuating cubicles. A white-noise generator minimized the extraneous sounds. Electromechanical programming and recording apparatus was located in an adjacent room. A 7-W houselight powered by 20-V ac served to differentiate multiple schedule component~ SUIgery and histology. Prior to any operant trai,ning, five animals received bilateral lesions of the septal region, three served as operated controls, and two served as unoperated controls. The operated animals were anesthetized with ~ ium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg) and positioned ,i...
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