Use of Withdrawal of Reinforcement within the Escape-Avoidance Paradigm

Abstract

With rats as Ss, an analog of shock escape-avoidance was developed in which withdrawal of positive reinforcement served in lieu of noxious stimulation. Efficient escape behavior developed with latencies varying as a function of the rate of reinforcement reinstated by the conditioned response, but avoidance behavior was infrequent. The results were considered from the standpoint of whether the escape response was positively reinforced through onset of the period of reinforcement or negatively reinforced through termination of the period of non-reinforcement.