Delayed VS. Immediate Reward Protocol

Summary

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Initialization

After a timed inter-trial interval (ITI), the program draws the first delay for the large reward, the pellet light turns on to signal the animal to nose poke within the defined response time.

• If a nose poke is not detected, the pellet light is turned off, a Type 1 omission is recorded, and the trial ends.
• If a nose poke is detected, the pellet light is turned off, and the program checks if this is to be a forced trial or a free choice trial.

Trial Types

• Forced Trials: The immediate and delayed levers are presented in an alternating pattern. The animal must respond to the presented lever within the response time. If the animal fails, then the lever is retracted, a type 2 omission is recorded, and the trial ends.
• Free Choice Trials: Both the immediate and delayed levers are presented at the same time. The animal must respond to either lever within the response time. If the animal fails, then the lever is retracted, a type 2 omission is recorded, and the trial ends.

Lever Choices

• If the delayed lever is chosen: Lever(s) are retracted and the cue light is turned on for the delay. At the end of the delay, the cue light is turned off, the pellet light is turned on, and the number of pellets for the large reward is given. If there is no nose poke in the food tray within the response time, then a type 3 omission is recorded.
• If the immediate lever is chosen: Levers are retracted, the pellet light is turned on, and 1 pellet reward is given. There is no delay before the reward is dispensed when the immediate lever is chosen. If there is no nose poke in the food tray within the response time, then a type 4 omission is recorded.

Conclusion

At the end of the trial, the program will wait for the signal for the next trial to begin (new trial interval). At the beginning of each new block, the next delay for the large reward is drawn from the list. When all trial blocks have been completed the program will end.
 

SKU:   SOF-700RA-31