CONCURRENT AVOIDANCE OF SHOCKS BY PIGEONS PECKING A KEY

Abstract

Three pigeons were studied on concurrent, unsignaled, avoidance schedules in a two‐key procedure. Shock‐shock intervals were two seconds in both schedules. The response‐shock interval on one key was always 22 seconds, while the response‐shock interval associated with the other key was varied from 7 to 52 seconds in different experimental conditions. Response rates on the key associated with the varied schedule tended to decrease when the response‐shock interval length was increased. Responding on the key associated with the constant schedule was not systematically affected.