Response Suppression And Recovery In The Mongolian Gerbil As A Function Of Shock Duration

The effects of punishment on a 2-minute variable interval food-reinforced bar press response were investigated in 16 Mongolian gerbils. Punishment consisted of electric shock in 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 second durations, with 4 subjects assigned to each shock duration. Punishment was administered for each response until all subjects ceased responding. After 7 days, subjects were retested on 3 successive days on the 2-minute variable interval schedule, but with no punishment for responding. Results showed that differences in the number of punishments to cessation among shock durations were not significant. Recovery of responding was seen to increase as a function of increased retest sessions, while over retest sessions there were differential rates of recovery as a function of shock duration. Support was found for the use of the gerbil in comparative punishment investigations with the laboratory rat.