Philip Solomon

Button-Pressing for a Time-off Reward during Sensory Deprivation: I. Relation to Activity Reward; II. Relation to Descriptions of Experience

Ss in sensory deprivation (S-D) were given the opportunity to button-press for a promised time-off reward. In one study, 10 Ss were in S-D for two 3-hr. sessions, exactly 1 wk. apart. During one session Ss were promised a time-off reward for button-pressing and during the other session, they were given the opportunity to button-press to relieve any felt need for activity. The orders of the two sessions were counterbalanced. The button-press response totals for the two sessions indicated that the activity reward was insignificant for the button-press response while the promised time-off reward produced high rates of responding by some Ss. In a second study, 9 Ss who were promised a time-off reward for button-pressing, upon release from a 3-hr. session, used an adjective check list to describe their subjective experiences while in S-D. Based upon their button-press response totals, the 9 Ss were classified into 3 groups of 3 Ss each: Low Responders, Medium Responders, and High Responders. A comparison of the types of adjectives checked by the 3 groups indicated that there was a gross positive relationship between amount of button-pressing for a promised time-off reward and relative use of adjectives descriptive of unpleasant subjective states in describing the S-D experiences.

Sensory Deprivation: Arousal and Rapid Eye Movement Correlates of Some Effects

Three Ss in sensory deprivation were continuously monitored by electroencephalographic (EEG) and electrooculographic (EOG) recordings. Retrospective reports of their mental states were given upon receipt of a signal. Ratings of report contents were compared with EEG determined levels of arousal and with the occurrence of rapid eye movements (REMs). Results indicate that the incidences of hallucinations and thought disorganization vary inversely with level of arousal, and hallucinations are not accompanied by REMs as occurs during dreaming.

NOTE ON REACTIONS OF EXTROVERTS AND INTROVERTS TO SENSORY DEPRIVATION.

11 extroverts and 7 introverts were scheduled for 2 sessions of sensory deprivation. During both sessions, introverts produced more button-presses for a promised time-off reward, and they scored higher on a discomfort index derived from before-after self-ratings of well-being. Of the 5 Ss who did not complete the study, 3 were extroverts who quit during a session and 2 were introverts who quit between sessions. Interest in these results is attributed to their similarity to those obtained in a previous study by another investigator.

BUTTON-PRESSING FOR A TIME-OFF REWARD DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION. III. EFFECTS OF VARIED TIME-OFF REWARDS.

Ss were given the opportunity to button-press for 3 different amounts of promised time-off reward during a 3-hr. sensory deprivation (S-D) session. The promised rewards were 1 min., 2 min., and 3 min. off the scheduled S-D session for every 200 button-presses. Ss produced significantly more button-presses for greater amounts of promised time-off reward.

BUTTON-PRESSING FOR A TIME-OFF REWARD DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION. V. EFFECTS OF RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE AND UNCOMFORTABLE SESSIONS.

10 Ss underwent two 3-hr. sensory deprivation (S-D) sessions exactly 1 wk. apart. One session was designed to be potentially more discomforting for Ss and was termed the uncomfortable session. The other session was termed the comfortable session. The orders of sessions were counterbalanced with 5 Ss used for each of the 2 orders. During both sessions Ss were given the opportunity to button-press for a promised time-off reward. Before and after each session Ss rated their state of well-being. Analyses of the results indicated that Ss engaged in significantly more button-pressing for the promised time-off reward during the uncomfortable session than during the comfortable session.

Button-Pressing for a Time-Off Reward during Sensory Deprivation: IV. Relation to Change in Ratings of Well-Being

Fifteen Ss were given the opportunity to button-press for a promised time-off reward during a 3-hr. sensory deprivation (S-D) session. Before entering S-D, Ss rated their state of well-being by means of a semantic differential scale. Immediately after leaving S-D, Ss used a copy of the same scale to rate their state of well-being while in S-D. Comparison of self ratings of Ss who button-pressed with those who did not suggested that, while there were no significant differences in well-being between groups before S-D, the button-pressers experienced a significantly greater decrement in well-being during S-D. A significant rho of .69 was found between button-pressing and a discomfort quotient derived from the self-ratings.