Abstract
Gerbils received either 100%, 50%, or 0% shock avoidance following shuttle responding in discriminative avoidance acquisition. Response frequency in acquisition and percentage of reinforcement were positively related. Percentage of reinforcement did not appreciably influence resistance to extinction. The results were discussed in terms of the importance of the shock-avoidance contingency, relative to other contingencies, in reinforcing the avoidance response.
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The research reported in this paper was supported by Grant B04355-001 from the National Science Foundation, awarded to the author.
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Galvani, P.F. Effects of percentage of shock avoidance on avoidance behavior in gerbils. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 7, 548–550 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337279