Response strength as a function of drive level during training and extinction.

Abstract

Four groups of animals were trained on a straight alley and extinguished under the following conditions of food deprivation. One group (High-High) was trained and extinguished under 60 hr. of deprivation; a second group (High-Low) was trained under 60 and extinguished under 12 hr. of deprivation, a third group (Low-Low) was trained and extinguished under 12 hr. of deprivation, and a fourth group (Low-High) was trained under 12 and extinguished under 60 hr. of deprivation. During extinction two measures of response strength[long dash]amplitude, as measured by running speed, and resistance to extinction[long dash]were recorded. By comparing these two measures of response strength, it was found that running speed during the 1st 6 extinction trials varied directly with training drive level but did not vary significantly with extinction drive level, while the resistance-to-extinction measure was uninfluenced by either training or extinction drive level. These results appear to (a) question Hull''s use of amplitude and resistance to extinction as alternative measures of reaction potential, and (b) provide evidence against Hull''s implicit assumption that animals trained under different levels of motivation learn identical habits.