CONDITIONING CHINCHILLA TO MAKE AVOIDANCE RESPONSES TO NOVEL SOUNDS

Trained 16 chinchillas on 196 different problems. Each problem began with several habituation trials, on each of which a sound, A, was presented. After the last habituation trial, a single trial was run with a 2nd sound, B, and the Ss were reinforced for responding after this new sound. The Ss developed a tendency to respond after novel sounds, i.e., after the single B and also after the initial A of a new problem. Habituation to A was more complete when a sound was given once every 15 sec. than when a couplet of sounds was given every 30 sec., and more complete when the B came late in the problem than when it came early. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.