To test the meaning of an occasion setter in a serial, feature-negative discrimination, a food-cup entry procedure is used with rats. In the first phase of the study, a buzzer is followed by food, while a buzzer preceded by a flashing light is followed by no food. In a second phase of training, the flashing light alone is paired with food. When the flashing light is again presented with the buzzer, the occasion-setting model predicts that we should see
A) no food-cup entry.
B) bursts of food-cup entry intermixed with periods of no responding.
C) a high sustained rate of food-cup entry.
D) a low sustained rate of food-cup entry.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the occasion-setting model, the flashing light serves as a signal that modifies the meaning of the buzzer, indicating when food will not be delivered. After the flashing light alone is paired with food, its presentation with the buzzer would still signal that no food will be delivered (based on its initial training as an occasion setter), leading to no food-cup entry.

To Test the Meaning of an Occasion Setter in a Serial