Partial reinforcement effect in the goldfish as a function of amount of reward.

Abstract

GOLDFISH, TRAINED IN MASSED TRIALS TO PRESS A TARGET FOR FOOD, WERE EXTINGUISHED TO A CONVENTIONAL CRITERION. IN EXP. I, WITH NUMBER OF REINFORCEMENTS EQUATED, CONSISTENCY OF REWARD (100 OR 50%), AMOUNT OF REWARD (1 OR 7 WORMS), AND EFFORTFULNESS OF RESPONSE (1 OR 5 PRESSES) WERE VARIED IN AN INCOMPLETE FACTORIAL DESIGN. RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION INCREASED WITH AMOUNT OF REWARD AND DECREASED WITH EFFORTFULNESS OF RESPONSE, MORE SO IN PARTIALLY THAN IN CONSISTENTLY REINFORCED ANIMALS. PARTIAL REINFORCEMENT EFFECT (PRE) WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY WITH HIGH REWARD AND LOW EFFORT. IN EXP. II, WITH HIGH REWARD AND LOW EFFORT, AN EQUATED-TRIALS PROCEDURE PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANT PRE IN THE FISH FOR THE 1ST TIME. THE SENSORY CARRY-OVER INTERPRETATION OF HULL AND SHEFFIELD FITS THESE RESULTS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)