Self-Presentation and Self-Termination of a Conflict-Producing Stimulus

Abstract

Rats could press a lever to initiate or terminate a stimulus that was associated with intermittent rewards and punishments. Subjects spent time in both the stimulus-on and stimulus-off condition and oscillated frequently between the two conditions. This method provides continuous, quantitative records of oscillatory behavior and is sensitive to manipulations of shock intensity and food deprivation as well as the relative frequency of reward and punishment.