ORIGINAL ARTICLE Continuous Measuring of Temporal and Spatial Changes in Rats’ Behavior under Water Temporal Schedules Emilio Ribes-Iñesta 1 & Hugo Baltazar Palacios Pérez 2 & Varsovia Hernández Eslava 1 # Association for Behavior Analysis International 2020 Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the spatial dimensions of behavior with five different continuous measures in time and space. Four experimentally naïve, male Wistar rats were exposed to two concurrent fixed time schedules of water delivered in two dispensers located at opposite walls. In five different phases, the schedules delivered complementary frequencies of water while the overall number of deliveries remained constant. A molar analyses of behavior involving directionality, vigor, variation, preference, and persistence of behavior was conducted. The behavior of rats in the five measures changed according on the number of dispensers providing water and their timing. The different measures showed to be relatively independent from each other, in particular, vigor and persistence where not as sensitive to the parametric manipulations as directionality, variation, and preference. Results suggest that molar measures depict moment-to-moment changes in behavioral dimensions usually not considered. Keywords concurrent fixed-time schedules . molar analysis . rats . spatial–temporal dimensions In 1932 Tolman stated a molar approach to behavior: “. . . as a molar phenomenon, behavior’ s immediate descriptive proper- ties appear to be those of: getting to or from goal- objects by selecting certain means-objects-routes as against other and by exhibiting specific patterns of commerces with the selected means-objects. . .” (p. 21). We propose that a molar perspec- tive involves two different levels. On the one hand, it consists of theoretical concepts that consider that the components of any phenomenon are functionally interdependent in such a way that the phenomenon cannot be understood as a mere aggregate of its components (Ribes, 2007). On the other hand, a molar analysis highlights continuous measurement of the diverse dimensions of a phenomenon in opposition to the use of predetermined discrete measures. Moreover, phenome- na are accounted in terms of changes observed in the func- tional relations of their properties along time and space (e.g., Pear, 1985), so molar measures do not assume a functional independence of their segments. Operant conditioning and instrumental learning studies of animal behavior have employed procedures involving the rel- atively free movement of organisms in the experimental situ- ations (Logan, 1960; Skinner, 1938), without focusing on the spatial organization of behavioral dimensions. In the free- operant situation, behavior is usually restricted to discrete measures of response rate and duration or temporal allocation, because it is seen as persistent responding on fixed located operanda (e.g., Baum & Rachlin, 1969; Ferster, 1953; Pear, 1985; Reynolds, 1966; Skinner, 1938). In the instrumental learning situation, behavior is evaluated by its average run- ning speed, latency, and choices in different sorts of alleys and mazes (e.g., Clayton, 1964; Hill & Spear, 1963; Logan, 1960; Olton & Samuelson, 1976). In both situations, directionality of behavior, as continuous dynamic spatial organization in reference to stimulus conditions, is neglected by the emphasis on repeated responding on a fixed apparatus while ignoring what the organism is doing when is not emitting the target response. Such an approach has led to the formulation of Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-020-00389-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Emilio Ribes-Iñesta eribes@uv.mx 1 Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones en Conocimiento y Aprendizaje Humano, Universidad Veracruzana, Agustín Melgar esq. Araucaria, Col. Revolución, C.P, 91100 Xalapa, México 2 Facultad de Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, De las Colinas 37, Las Playas, Acapulco de Juárez 39390, Gro, México The Psychological Record https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-020-00389-z