Operant conditioning and associated electromyogram responses.

Abstract

Operant [Galvanic skin response] GSR conditioning was attempted with Ss seated in a dark room and unelicited GSRs reinforced with a white light. Electro-myographic (EMG) monitoring of the fingers holding the GSR electrodes indicated preceding muscle-tension changes (which can often lead to a GSR). Response frequency for contingent reinforcement and yoked noncontingent reinforcement control groups differed significantly over the reinforcement period when all criterion unelicited GSRs were reinforced. Separate analyses of GSRs preceded and not preceded by EMG changes within the same S gave no indication that movement-related GSRs were significantly responsible for the experimental and control group difference during reinforcement. Additional Ss were reinforced for only those criterion GSRs given in the absence of preceding EMG changes. Evidence for operant conditioning in these Ss was equivocal. A complicating factor was the greater average number of GSRs necessary for reinforcement, compared to Ss in the condition where all criterion GSRs were reinforced. The present findings do not support the hypothesis that a skeletal (rather than an autonomic) response is acquired in operant GSR conditioning.