Roberts (1981) studied rats working on a FI-40 second schedule that could earn reinforcement for the first lever press that occurred 40 seconds after a light stimulus came on. The peak procedure was used in that empty trials were conducted in which the light stimulus stayed on for an extended period of time and no lever presses were rewarded. Still on other trials, the light stimulus was turned off for 10 seconds, 10 seconds into midway through the interval.
1) If the rats reset their clock to 0 when the light when off, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
2)If the rats completely ignore the fact that the light went off for 10 seconds and they continue to time through the gap, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
3)If the rats temporarily pause their internal clock for the duration of the gap and then continue timing from where they left off after the gap, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
4)How many seconds after the beginning of the trial was the actual peak response rate found with this experimental manipulation (report the answer with one decimal place)?
Question 58 options:
Roberts (1981) trained rats that with a light stimulus, they could earn reinforcement on a FI-20 second schedule, and with a tone stimulus, they were working on a FI-40 second schedule. These two schedules were trained until FI scallops developed, and then some trials were empty trials that began with the light stimulus but then shifted to the tone stimulus 15 seconds later.
5) If the rats used a down-timer such that they begin timing down from 20 seconds with the onset of the light stimulus, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
6) If the rats start over from 0 when the stimulus switches from the light to the tone, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
7) If the rats used an up-timer such that they begin timing up to 20 with the light stimulus but then when the stimulus switches they continue to time until they reach 40, how many seconds after the beginning of the trial should the response rates peak?
8)How many seconds after the beginning of the trial was the actual peak response rate found with this experimental manipulation?
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