CONDITIONING HISTORY AND THE CONTROL OF HUMAN AVOIDANCE AND ESCAPE RESPONDING 1

Abstract

Inter‐subject differences in response rates under free‐operant avoidance and escape schedules are commonly obtained from humans. Data are presented which demonstrate that such differences can be controlled experimentally by giving subjects different conditioning histories. Subjects given a fixed‐ratio history avoided and/or escaped from “point‐loss periods” at higher rates than subjects given a differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rates history. History related differences in response rates were maintained during 40 hr of escape responding. For low‐rates history subjects, response rates under escape contingencies decreased as the rate of point‐loss periods decreased.