SOME ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS FOR OPERANT BEHAVIOR STUDIES: II. A RANDOM RATIO GENERATOR' W. N. SCHOENFELD, W. W. CUMMING, A. G.

SNAPPER, and P. HAAS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

We present below an apparatus used in our laboratory, in conjunction with the translator described in an earlier note (Schoenfeld et al., 1960), for generating programs of random ratio reinforcement. The general principle underlying the operation of this generator involves a high frequency pulse, the duration of which is manipulable (without changes in the frequency). This makes possible a temporally defined reinforcement schedule with the tD + t1A cycle made very short with respect to the minimal inter-response time of the organism. The coincidence of response with tD yields reinforcement, and the probability of this coincidence is defined by the ratio tD/(tD + tI) because of the small values of the time parameters involved (see also Brandauer, 1958). The properties of ratio schedules generated in this way include: (a) equal probability of reinforcement for each response; and, (b) independence of the probability of reinforcement (coincidence) and inter-response time. The circuit diagram of the random ratio generator is given in Fig. 1, which is accompanied by an index of components. The operation of this circuit may be traced as follows: (1) A 100 cps wave is squared (E,) and sent to a flip-flop (E2) for frequency division by two. In our laboratory, we have used the 100 cps output of a Hewlett-Packard secondary frequency standard, but both the frequency and the source may be varied without substantial change in the circuit. As divided by E2, 50 complete cycles per second are available, each constituting a tD + tA cycle with tD occurring at the beginning of each cycle and continuously variable from less than 10 microseconds up to the full cycle length of 20,000 microseconds. (2) The output of E2 passes through a pulse amplifier (E3) giving an 80 volt negative pulse of 50 microseconds' duration for each input pulse. The output of the amplifier is fed to: (a) an additional amplifier (involving tubes T4 and T5), and thence to the translator earlier described, where it initiates fD; (b) a phantastron circuit. (3) The phantastron (E4) and its related components operate to produce a delayed output by generating a positive gate. The duration of this gate is variable by means of C3 and R2, the output being finally used (after differentiation) for the initiation of tj. (4) Operation ot this random ratio generator requires a well-regulated power supply. When desired, calibration by a high quality oscilloscope against a standard time base will give a high degree of precision. Calibrated delay generators of good quality are commercially available and may be substituted for the phantastron circuit used here.

REFERENCES
Brandauer, C. M., The effects of uniform probabilities of reinforcement upon the response rate of the pigeon. Unpublished doctor's dissertation, Columbia University, 1958. Schoenfeld, W. N., et al., Some electronic control units for operant behavior studies: 1. A response and reinforcement contingency translator, J. exp. anal. Behav., 1960, 3, 17-20.
'This apparatus was developed in conjunction with research supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants G-3408, G-5517, and G-8671.
Received December 1, 1959

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SCHOENFELD, CUMMING, SNAPPER, and HAAS

a+

Figure 1. Circuit diagram of the random ratio generator. The outputs, labeled tD and t A are negative pulses of 180 volts (at an impedance of approximately 47 K ohms); these pulses of approximately 50 microseconds'
are

duration, with rise time less than 3 microseconds.

INDEX

C,-0.001 mf., 400 v. C2-0.01 mf.,400v. C3-variable, 22 mmf. to 0.001 mf., 400 v. C4-0.02 mf., 400 v. C5-0.l mf., 400 v. C6-0.1 mf.,400v. C7-0.02 mf., 400 v. C8-0. I mf., 400 v. C9-0.1 mf., 400 v.
E,-EECO squaring circuit Z-90001* E2-EECO flip-flop Z-8342* E3-EECO pulse amplifier Z-8489* E4-EECO phantastron Z-8771 * E5-EECO pulse amplifier Z-8489* B+ = +200v. D.C.
Santa Ana, California.

R,- I megohm, 0.5 watt R2 -0.47 to 3 megohm (variable), 0.5 watt R3-l00Kohm,0.5 watt R4-3.3 K ohm, 0.5 watt Rs- I megohm, 0.5 watt R6-47 K ohm, 0.5 watt R7-100 K ohm, 0.5 watt R8-3.3 K ohm, 0.S watt R9_- megohm, 0.5 watt R1o-47 K ohm, 0.5 watt T,-6AL5 tube T2-one-half 5963 tube T.-one-half 5963 tube T4-one-half 5963 tube T5 one-half 5963 tube

*All EECO plug-in circuits are manufactured and sold by the Engineered Electronics Co., 506 East First Street,