Activity during Delay Interval and Delayed Response Errors in Monkeys

Abstract

Six naive rhesus monkeys were tested on a standard delayed response problem. For the 0-, 5-, and 20-sec. delay intervals employed, 100, 91, and 84% correct responses, respectively, were obtained. Activity scores, defined by photobeam interruptions during the actual delay interval, for all 5- and 20-sec. delay trials correlated .975 with errors on those trials. These data were interpreted as supporting the position that in the adapted S on any given trial an orienting response to the baited foodwell is completely and accurately elicited, and that errors reflect interference with orientation by competing response tendencies, in this case the idiosyncratic tendency for generalized activity.