EFFECTS OF DURATION OF FEEDBACK ON SIGNALED AVOIDANCE

Two experiments were carried out to study vertical jumping avoidance learning in rats. In particular, we examined the effects of the duration of a feedback stimulus and of the interval between the end of the feedback stimulus and the start of the next trial on acquisition and extinction of avoidance. In Experiment 1, the duration of feedback was manipulated while intertrial interval (feedback plus no-feedback) was held constant. Animals with feedback lasting more than 1 sec needed fewer trials to reach the acquisition criteria than did animals with no feedback or with 1-sec feedback. No differences were observed in extinction. In Experiment 2, the durations of both feedback and no-feedback were manipulated. Animals without feedback needed more trials to reach the acquisition criterion than did animals with feedback, but the performance of the feedback animals did not differ as a function of feedback duration, no-feedback duration, or total intertrial interval. Again, no differences were observed in extinction. These results indicate that the presentation of feedback improves the acquisition of vertical jumping avoidance, but that this effect is independent of the temporal characteristics of feedback.