Running speed in rats as a function of drive level and presence or absence of competing response trials.

Straight‐alley escape behavior in infant mice: Effect of shock intensity

“…At all ages, increasing shock levels tended to decrease the number of competing responses made during the training session, in agreement with studies with adults (Cicala, 1961;Porter et al, 1968). Furthermore, the order of competing response decrease in the different runway segments with increasing shock is in agreement with adult literature (Porter et al, 1968).…”

“…Research with adult animals has typically shown faster running speeds with an increase in either food deprivation (e.g., Champion, 1967;Porter, Madison, & Senkowski, 1968) or shock intensity (e.g., Campbell & Kraeling, 1953;Trapold & Fowler, 1960). Although not identical to the competing response measure used with infants, studies with adult animals utilizing a competing response measure have indicated a decrease in competing responses with an increase of either food deprivation (Champion, 1967;Cotton, 1953;Porter et al, 1968) or shock level (Cicala, 1961). On the other hand, Card, Hird, Larsson, and Peterson (1 967) noted an increase in pivoting behavior, similar to the competing response measure, in infant rats with an increase in the intensity of an aversive stimulus.…”

Observation of the behavior of rats running to reward and nonreward in an alleyway ...

“…* u« -f. ' (Bindra, 1963;Cicala, 1961;Cotton, 1953;Kello, unpublished experiment; King, 1959;Marx & Brownstein, 1963; McCoy & Marx, 1965;Pereboom & Crawford, Although the main concern here is with alleyway experiments, there are also data in the free-operant literature which strongly support the response-competition view. Thus Gilbert (1958) showed that the differences in overall rate of bar-pressing in highly trained rats as a function of percent concentration of sucrose were due almost entirely to differences in the amount of time spent responding.…”

“…This behavior has not been separately studied, due to difficulties in specifying it (Marx & Brownstein, 1963, p. 188 (King, 1959;Marx & Brownstein, 1963;Pereboom & Crawford, 1958;Smoot, 1964), and a "direct run" measure, which is simply the total time on those trials on which no competing behavior occurs (Cicala, 1961;Cotton, 1953;Marx & Brownstein, 1963 (Bakan, 1954;Estes, 1956;Hayes, 1953;Sidman, 1952;Spence, 1956). Yet, it is also quite clear that learning 8 theorists intend their statements to apply to the behavior of single subjects (Estes, 1956;Hayes, 1953, p« 269 ;Skinner, 1961;Spence, 1956, pp.…”

Effects of Water Deprivation Upon Heart Rate and Running Speed of the Hite Rat in a Straight Alley

“…The present results indicate that, with a more simple task, the effect of a high level of arousal is less detrimental to performance. Considering these results in the light of those of Cotton (1953) and Cicala (1961) on response competition in the runway performance, it would seem that, under a high arousal level, the rat tends to limit its activity to that which is likely to lead directly to water. In the straight runway, where the task consists only in crossing over to the water cup, this would improve his performance; but in an instrumental box, where the rat must press a lever before going to the water cup, this would result in a deterioration in performance.…”