Abstract
Rat Ss received free operant discrimination training in which: (1) imposing a time out before each S+ period and (2) an S+ postponement contingency for responding late in S-periods were used to ascertain effects of adventitious reinforcement of S- responding by the appearance of S+ (a conditioned reinforcer). Postponement training was more effective than time-out training. The effectiveness of S+ postponement training appeared to be due to a massing of extinction resulting from prolonged S- periods early in training. There was no evidence that S+ conditioned reinforcement interfered with discrimination acquisition.
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This research was supported by NIMH Research Grant MH-13904-01.
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Snow, M.E., Uhl, C.N. Effects of time out and S+ postponement training procedures on free operant discrimination acquisition. Psychon Sci 14, 218 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332801
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332801