The role of preliminary training in the acquisition of observing response

Abstract

The need of extensive preliminary training to establish observing is questioned. An observing-response procedure consisting of a two-lever concurrent schedule was used in two different experiments. Foodpellets were given according to a random interval (RI) 8 s extinction mixed schedule effective in the right lever. Each response on the left lever produced signals differentially correlated with each mixed-schedule component. In Experiment 1 three naive rats were directly exposed to this procedure. Observing was established in one rat and a correlation between food and observing responses was found. In Experiment 2 three rats each were exposed to Rl 6 s or RI 52 s food-reinforcement schedules respectively for ten sessions before exposure to the observing procedure. Observing was established in all rats but for rats exposed to the RI 52 s this took nearly 40 sessions for one rat. Results show that allowing the acquisition of food-producing responses is conducive to establish observing