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Biomedical subjects

R M HERRICK

Publications and source records attributed to R M HERRICK.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PLOTTING AND ANALYZING CUMULATIVE RESPONSE CURVES IN OPERANT CONDITIONING STUDIES.

Because the response and time scales used in plotting cumulative response curves are often poorly selected, ineffective displays often result. The visual cue of a response rate change is the difference, [Formula: see text] between the angles, theta(1) and theta(2), representing the two rates, R(1) and R(2). These variables are related by: [Formula: see text] For a given rate change, the value of theta(1), namely, (M)theta(1), that yields the maximum value of [Formula: see text] namely, [Formula: see text] is given by (M)theta(1)=arc sin [Formula: see text] Ideally, the initial response rate should be represented by the (M)theta(1) appropriate for a given rate change. Because of practical considerations, however, some compromises with the ideal are allowable. Included in the discussion are (a) steps required to select appropriate response and time scales, with examples, and (b) guideposts for evaluating rate changes by means of angular changes.

Conditioning, Operant↗

THE SUCCESSIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF A LEVER DISPLACEMENT RESPONSE.

Maximum displacements of lever presses by rats were recorded under eight successively-smaller reinforcement zones (RZ). The largest RZ included displacements from 3 degrees to 44 degrees ; the smallest, from 24 degrees to 29 degrees . As the RZ decreased, displacement distributions reflected a least-effort tendency: distributions peaked at the lower limit of RZ and most non-reinforced presses fell just below the lower limit. Successive distributions (a) differed significantly in shape, (b) showed reduced variability, and (c) indicated more presses and more presses per reinforcement. Prolonged training under the smallest RZ gave no improvement in performance.

Rats↗

A SYSTEM FOR PROGRAMMING EXPERIMENTS AND FOR RECORDING AND ANALYZING DATA AUTOMATICALLY.

A system designed for use in complex operant conditioning experiments is described. Some of its key features are: (a) plugboards that permit the experimenter to change either from one program to another or from one analysis to another in less than a minute, (b) time-sharing of permanently-wired, electronic logic components, (c) recordings suitable for automatic analyses. Included are flow diagrams of the system and sample logic diagrams for programming experiments and for analyzing data.

Conditioning, Operant↗

Program tapes.

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