Resistance to extinction as a function of the discrimination habit established during fixed-ratio reinforcement.

Abstract

Given a symptotic performance level under continuous reinforcement, resistance to extinction of a bar-pressing response was found to be a negatively accelerated increasing function of the additional number of blocks of fixed-ratio reinforcement. A discrimination habit of partial reinforcement (learning which bar press is followed by reward and which are not) was clearly revealed. The results support a discrimination analysis of the effects of partial reinforcement in extinction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)