Temporal distribution of induced drinking behavior under chained reinforcement schedules

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with the aim of assesing the effects of order of component ocurrence in a chained reinforcement schedule upon the temporal distribution of induced drinking. In the first experiment, three groups of rats were exposed to three different sequential orders of component presentation. The results of this experiment showed that drinking occurs after pellet delivery and independently of the order of component presentation. In the second experiment, the values of the initial and last component were altered to assess whether changes in behavioral restrictions caused by the altering schedule parameters would influence temporal distribution of induced drinking. The results showed that drinking occurs more often after pellet delivery and independently of schedule restrictions. These results are consistent with some previously published data, and question some theoretical and methodological aspects of schedule-induced behavior research.