dc.contributor.advisor |
Davison, M.C. |
en |
dc.contributor.advisor |
Beale, I.L. |
en |
dc.contributor.author |
Sturmer, G. D. deF. von |
en |
dc.date.accessioned |
2007-08-11T11:50:57Z |
en |
dc.date.available |
2007-08-11T11:50:57Z |
en |
dc.date.issued |
1975 |
en |
dc.identifier |
THESIS 76-038 |
en |
dc.identifier.citation |
Thesis (PhD--Psychology)--University of Auckland, 1975 |
en |
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1416 |
en |
dc.description |
Full text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only. |
en |
dc.description.abstract |
Naturalistic observations and multi-factor learning theories agree with common sense that some stimuli are intrinsically aversive. Animals are said to escape from these stimuli, or avoid them when this is possible, and avoidance is claimed to be mediated by fear. Recently this sort of reasoning has been used to account for the fact that in successive discrimination training subjects will reliably switch off for a period of time the stimuli correlated with the lower reinforcement rate in a multiple schedule. Some data from studies of stimulus control support the idea that this behaviour, called timing out, is an escape response and its performance is taken to mean that the stimulus from which the animal escapes is an aversive stimulus. There is other evidence, however, which casts doubt upon the mediation theories of aversive control which led to experiments on timing out in multiple schedules and this raises the possibility that timing out is not escape behaviour, or that the stimulus from which the animal apparently escapes is not intrinsically aversive.
Following a review of literature which is relevant to the above viewpoints, two experiments are reported in which timing out during the component with the lower frequency of reinforcement in a multiple schedule is shown to occur under conditions where the escape hypothesis cannot be retained. Timing out was maintained when the stimulus correlated with the lower reinforcement rate, extinction, was no longer presented, when the stimulus correlated with the higher rate of reinforcement was also omitted, and when both of these stimuli and food reinforcement were no longer available. Responding ceased only when all its consequences were removed from the programme.
The possibility is discussed that timing out is maintained by stimulus variation, but this view is not pursued at length. Instead the escape paradigm is analysed more carefully and it is concluded that it is logically impossible for it to provide data which will sustain the view that some stimuli are intrinsically aversive - regardless of the outcome of experiments in which it is used.
The problems with which this thesis began are then reworked at the theoretical level in the context of relative value theory and it is found that this allows a more economical explanation of some data. New problems arise, however, and some experiments are outlined as tentative fresh approaches to the nature of aversive control. It is concluded that contemporary relative value theory, while as yet not adequately tested, promises to resolve some longstanding issues in operant psychology. |
en |
dc.language.iso |
en |
en |
dc.publisher |
ResearchSpace@Auckland |
en |
dc.relation.ispartof |
PhD Thesis - University of Auckland |
en |
dc.relation.isreferencedby |
UoA9921773614002091 |
en |
dc.rights |
Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. |
en |
dc.rights |
Restricted Item. Available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland. |
en |
dc.rights.uri |
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm |
en |
dc.title |
Escape and relative value |
en |
dc.type |
Thesis |
en |
thesis.degree.discipline |
Psychology |
en |
thesis.degree.grantor |
The University of Auckland |
en |
thesis.degree.level |
Doctoral |
en |
thesis.degree.name |
PhD |
en |
dc.rights.holder |
Copyright: The author |
en |
dc.identifier.wikidata |
Q112840206 |
|