Abstract
The extinction performances of rats were compared in several experiments which provided either individual or paired conditions during operant acquisition and/or extinction. Enhanced resistance to extinction was observed when Ss were trained alone and, subsequently, extinguished in pairs. All other combinations of conditions yielded lower and nondifferential levels of responding during testing. This pattern of results did not appear specific to condition-dependent changes in the nature of stimuli associated with reinforcement. It was considered that the results could be attributed to a limited-term arousal effect of social pairing.
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Treichler, F.R., Graham, M.M. & Schweikert, G.E. Social facilitation of the rat’s responding in extinction. Psychon Sci 22, 291–293 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335961
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335961