Abstract
Sixty-four male albino rats were trained to leverpress in an operant chamber and to run a straight runway. Half of Ss were trained on a continuous reinforcement schedule (CRF), and the other half on a partial reinforcement schedule (PR). Upon completion of acquisition, the groups were subdivided and given acquisition training in the other apparatus, half under conditions of CRF and the other half under conditions of PR. Upon completion of acquisition on both pieces of apparatus, half of Ss in each subgroup were extinguished in the runway, and the other half were extinguished in the operant chamber. Results showed that resistance to extinction of either response was a function only of the training reinforcement for that response, and was independent of the schedule of reinforcement received in training of the other response. Results were discussed in terms of the response specificity of the partial reinforcement effect (PRE).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Amsel, A. Partial reinforcement effects of vigor and persistence: Advances in frustration theory derived from a variety of within-subjects experiments. In K. W. Spence and J. T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory. New York: Academic Press, 1967.
Amsel, A., Rashotte, M. E., & MacKinnon, J. R. Partial reinforcement effects within subjects and between subjects. Psychological Monographs, 1966, 80(20 Whole No. 628).
Brown, R. T., & Logan, F. A. Generalized partial reinforcement effect. Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1965, 60, 64–69.
Rashotte, M. E., & Amsel, A. The generalized PRE: Within-S PRF and CRF training in different runways, at different times of day, by different experimenters. Psychonomic Science, 1968, 11, 315–316.
Mowrer, O. H. Learning theory and behavior. New York: Wiley, 1960.
Young, A. G. Resistance to extinction as a function of partial reinforcement and bar weighting: A within-Ss design. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 79, 363–367.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by a grant from the University Council of Research, Louisiana State University, to the first author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Young, A.G., Hale, P.A. & Fuselier, G.D. A within-S test of the response specificity of the PRE. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 3, 437–439 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333519
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333519