Music Discrimination Training in Lab Rats

1
Music Discrimination Training in Lab Rats

• Joanna Dickens
• Psych 360
• Spring 2007

2
Abstract

• In this experiment I trained my lab rat (Fosse)
  music discrimination using two different types of
  music
• Jazz
• and
• Classical
• And to make a different response in the presence
  of each one

3
Fosse
4

• This experiment was carried out as a
• SINGLE SUBJECT REASEARCH DESIGN
• This means that the entire experiment was
  conducted with a single subject, though it may be
  replicated with several other subjects.

5
Background Information

• During the conduction of this experiment, Fosse
  was deprived of water for 24 hours before each
  lab session. This was to help the water used to
  serve as a reinforcer during the experiment.
• The water used in this experiment was a 10
  sucrose solution
• Recall that DEPRIVATION is the withholding of a
  reinforcer that increases relevant learning and
  performance.
• And a REINFORCER is any stimulus, event, or
  condition whose presentation immediately follows
  a response and increases the frequency of that
  response.

6

• Fosse was trained prior to this experiment to
  perform the full lever press and the chain pull

7
A few things are needed before the experiment can
begin

• Rat
• Skinner Box
• (Operant Conditioning Box)
• Lever
• Water
• Chain
• iPod (or some other musical device)
• Music

8

• There were two pieces of music used in this
  experiment, one jazz piece and one classical
  piece.
• The jazz piece was
• Watermelon Island
• By Eldar Djangirov
• The classical piece was
• Mood Music
• By Jim Brickman

9

• The first part of the experiment involved
  measuring baseline for a period of 5 minutes.
  Both the chain and lever were present in the
  Skinner box, and both the light and music were
  turned off.
• Recall that BASELINE is the phase of an
  experiment or intervention in which behavior is
  measured in the absence of an intervention.

10

• From this point on we build upon our two basic
  reinforcement contingencies that we activate

BEFORE No Water
BEHAVIOR Pull Chain
AFTER Water
And
BEFORE No Water
BEHAVIOR Press Lever
AFTER Water
A REINFORCEMENT CONTINGENCY is the immediate
response contingent presentation of a reinforcer
resulting in an increased frequency of that
response.
11

• But things are never this easy in life,
• are they?
• We need to apply the concepts of SD and S? along
  with multiple Discrimination Training
  Contingencies
• And just to review
• An SD is a stimulus in the presence of which a
  particular response will be reinforced or
  punished.
• And
• An S? is a stimulus in the presence of which a
  particular response will not be reinforced or
  punished

12

• So we end up with two separate Discrimination
  Training Contingencies
• A discrimination training procedure involves
  reinforcing or punishing a response in the
  presence of one stimulus and extinguishing it or
  allowing it to recover in the presence of another
  stimulus

13

• Therefore our two
• Discrimination Training Contingencies
• are as follows

14
For Jazz Music/Chain Pulling
AFTER Water
SD Jazz Music
BEFORE No Water
BEHAVIOR Pull Chain
S? Classical Music
AFTER No Water
15
For Classical Music/Lever Pressing
SD Classical Music
AFTER Water
BEFORE No Water
BEHAVIOR Lever Press
S? Jazz Music
AFTER No Water
16
Experiment

• The basic goal of this experiment is to show
  discrimination training by the lab rat between
  two types of music (the jazz piece and the
  classical piece) by having him perform two
  separate behaviors (the pulling of the chain and
  pressing of the lever) during the appropriate
  music (SD) and to extinguish the inappropriate
  response (S?)

17
Jazz Music/Chain Pulling

• During the first part of the experiment, chain
  pulling in the presence of the jazz music has to
  be established.
• First, the light is turned off, and the music is
  set to play the jazz piece.
• Then each chain pull is reinforced, while each
  lever press is extinguished (by not giving the
  reinforcer)
• Once this behavior of chain pulling in the
  presence of the jazz music has been established
  for a consecutive minute with NO lever presses,
  the experiment continues on.

18
Classical Music/Lever Pressing

• Once chain pulling has been established in the
  presence of the jazz music, switch over to the
  classical music piece.
• Now every lever press will be reinforced while
  each chain pull is extinguished.
• This continues on until one consecutive minute
  passes with no incorrect response.

19

• This process of alternating between reinforcing
  the chain pulling during the jazz music (with no
  lever presses taking place) and reinforcing the
  lever pressing during the classical music (with
  no chain pulling taking place) in one minute
  intervals (with only correct responding taking
  place) continues on until total discrimination
  between the two types of music and the two
  corresponding behaviors occur.

20
Data
21
Baseline

• On the first day of the experiment, baseline was
  recorded for five minutes. No music was playing,
  and the lever and chain were both in place.
• There were 78 total lever presses in the 5 minute
  period
• Thats an average of 15.6 per minute
• No chain pulling occurred during baseline

22
Day 1On Day 1, the following data were collected

• Jazz Music/Chain Pull
• 15 Total Minutes
• 75 Chain Pulls (Reinforced)
• Average of 5 per minute
• 35 Lever Presses (Not reinforced)
• Total Responses 110
• Total Correct 75/110
• 68

• Classical Music/Lever Press
• 6 Total Minutes
• 69 Lever Presses (Reinforced)
• Average of 11.5 per minute
• 3 Chain Pulls (Not Reinforced)
• Total Responses 72
• Total Correct 69/72
• 96

23
And now Day 4

• Jazz Music/Chain Pull
• 23 Total Minutes
• 208 Chain Pulls
• Average of 9.04 per minute
• 25 Lever Presses
• Total Responses 233
• Total Correct 208/233
• 89

• Classical Music/Lever Press
• 14 Total Minutes
• 121 Lever Presses
• Average of 8.64 per minute
• 9 Chain Pulls
• Total Responses 130
• Total Correct 121/130
• 93

24
Finally Day 7

• Jazz Music/Chain Pull
• 15 Total Minutes
• 225 Chain Pulls
• Average of 15 per minute
• 3 Lever Presses
• Total Responses 228
• Total Correct 225/228
• 98.7

• Classical Music/Lever Press
• 17 Total Minutes
• 248 Total Lever Presses
• Average of 15.59 per minute
• 3 Chain Pulls
• Total Responses 251
• Total Correct 248/251
• 98.8

25
On the day of recording

• Jazz Music/Chain Pull
• 8 Total Minutes
• 100 Chain Pulls
• Average of 12.5 per minute
• 0 Lever Presses
• Total Responses 100
• Total Correct 100/100
• 100

• Classical Music/Lever Press
• 8 Total Minutes
• 106 Lever Presses
• Average of 13.25 per minute
• 1 Chain Pull
• Total Responses 107
• Total Correct 106/107
• 99.1

26
For the Entire Experiment

• Jazz Music/Chain Pull
• 153 Total Minutes
• 1382 Chain Pulls
• Average of 9.03 per minute
• 184 Lever Presses
• Total Responses 1566
• Total Correct 1382/1566
• 88.25

• Classical Music/Lever Press
• 107 Total Minutes
• 1283 Lever Presses
• Average of 11.99 per minute
• 42 Chain Pulls
• Total Responses 1325
• Total Correct 1283/1325
• 96.83

27
IT WORKED!
28

• After conducting the experiment and analyzing the
  data, it can be said that Fosse the rat properly
  learned to distinguish between jazz music and
  classical music, and to perform the correct
  response during each musical selection nearly
  100 of the time during the last three lab
  sessions

29
Conclusion

• This experiment proves that music discrimination
  is possible in lab rats with the proper
  techniques and patience.
• Further experiments could now be conducted to see
  if this can be applied to other lab rats, and
  other selections of music from these two musical
  genres.

30
And now watch, observe, and enjoy!
31
(No Transcript)
32

• Experiment Designed and Executed by
• Joanna M. Dickens
• Western Michigan University
• Department of Psychology
• Psych 360
• Concepts of Behavior Analysis
• Spring 2007