Abstract
A previous experiment had pointed to the number of unreinforced-reinforced (UR) sequences as the crucial variable in determining the magnitude of the increased resistance to extinction following partial reinforcement, called the partial reinforcement effect (PRE). Fifty albino rats were the Ss. A 2 by 2 factorial design was used with number of UR sequences as one factor; percentage, number, and length of run of nonreinforcements were confounded as the other factor. The magnitude of the PRE was not a function of UR sequences but it increased as the percentage, number, and length of run of nonreinforcements increased.
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References
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This article is based on a dissertation submitted to Wayne State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. The author wishes to thank Laurence Stettner for his advice and guidance during the entire investigation. The author held a NASA predoctoral traineeship grant during the investigation.
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Koteskey, R.L. The effect of unreinforced-reinforced sequences on resistance to extinction following partial reinforcement. Psychon Sci 14, 34–35 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336412
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336412