Abstract
Four rats were conditioned to avoid shock on a fixed-cycle (15-sec) avoidance schedule. A 6-sec tone was introduced preceding shock. The tone could be avoided by a single response within the cycle preceding the tone’s onset. None of the four rats consistently avoided the tone, and this effect did not depend upon whether the tone could be terminated by the S. These results suggest that a warning signal does not function as an aversive stimulus, if the aversiveness of a stimulus is defined in terms of maintaining avoidance behavior. Finally, possible reasons for the inconsistency between the present experiment and that of Logan & Boice (1968) are noted.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bolles, R. C., & Popp, R. J., Jr. Parameters affecting the acquisition of Sidman avoidance. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1964, 7, 315–321.
Field, G. E., & Boren, J. J. An adjusting avoidance procedure with multiple auditory and visual warning stimuli. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1963, 4, 537–543.
Logan, F. A., & Boice, R. Avoidance of a warning signal. Psychonomic Science, 1968, 13, 53.
Sidman, M. Some properties of the warning stimulus in avoidance behavior. Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1955, 48, 444–450.
Sidman, M. Classical avoidance without a warning stimulus. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1962, 5, 97–104.
Sidman, M. Avoidance behavior. In W. K. Honig (Ed.), Operant behavior: Areas of research and application. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966.
Sidman, M., & Boren, J. J. A comparison of two types of warning stimulus in an avoidance situation. Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1957, 50, 282–287.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
A paper based on these data was presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association meeting, Miami, 1971.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lewis, P., Badia, P. Avoidance of a warning signal as a function of the signal termination contingency. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 1, 301–303 (1973). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334351
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334351