The rabbit as a subject in behavioral research.
Rabbits follow the same VI/FR rules as rats and pigeons, but they skip the FI scallop and water works fine as reinforcement.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers ran rabbits on standard VI and FR schedules. They used water drops as the reinforcer because food restriction is hard with rabbits.
They also tested fixed-interval schedules and mild shock to map basic response patterns.
What they found
Water worked well. Rabbits showed steady VI and FR response rates just like rats and pigeons.
But the classic FI scallop did not appear. The animals did not pause then speed up as the interval ended.
How this fits with other research
Bron et al. (2003) later saw the same steady VI performance in possums, adding another species to the list. The matching law holds across rabbits, possums, and the usual rats or pigeons.
Davison et al. (1989) showed pigeons also ignore overall reinforcer-rate feedback. The missing FI scallop in rabbits fits that pattern: both species seem less sensitive to time cues.
Kuroda et al. (2020) found oversized 'jackpot' reinforcers added no extra punch in rats and pigeons. The 1969 rabbit data already hinted at this: plain water drops maintained behavior without fancy sizing.
Why it matters
If you ever need a non-standard animal model—say, for a client who loves rabbits—water reinforcement is practical and schedule patterns stay predictable. Just do not expect the neat FI scallop you see in pigeons; plan your data visuals accordingly.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Domestic rabbits were exposed to a wide variety of variables employed in behavioral research. It was found that: (1) Although food could be used as a reinforcer, the long periods of severe deprivation required to reduce body weight made its use impractical. (2) Water was an efficient reinforcer in that it maintained high rates of behavior after 22 hr of deprivation. (3) Except that rates of responding were higher, fixed-ratio and variable-interval schedules of reinforcement produced patterns of behavior similar to those demonstrated by rats and pigeons. (4) Although the duration of the post-reinforcement pause was a function of the duration of the interval under fixed-interval schedules, scalloping, as defined as a gradually increasing rate of responding between reinforcement, was not evident. (5) When provided with the means to both turn on and turn off intracranial stimulation, the duration of the stimulation and the frequency with which it was turned on and off was a function of the intensity of the stimulation. (6) Electric shock could suppress behavior and maintain escape responding, but would maintain avoidance responding only in a few subjects.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 1969 · doi:10.1901/jeab.1969.12-663