Resistance to extinction of lever-pressing rates maintained by different wheel-running reinforcement durations

Publication date: February 2017 Source:Learning and Motivation, Volume 57 Author(s): Terry W. Belke, W. David Pierce, Allison F. Harris, Megan M. Leblanc, Victoria L. Clennett Previous research using resistance to extinction to assess response strength has shown slower attenuation of responding maintained by larger than smaller reinforcement magnitudes. The current study sought to generalize this reinforcement-magnitude effect to extinction of lever-pressing rates maintained by wheel-running reinforcement of different durations. Rats responded on a response-initiated variable interval 20-s schedule for the opportunity to run in a wheel for 5s, 30s, and 90s. Following training on each reinforcement duration, lever pressing for wheel running was placed on extinction. Results showed that responding maintained by 5s of wheel-running reinforcement declined slower in extinction than for the 90-s duration, while 30s of wheel-running reinforcement produced inconsistent effects on attenuation of response rates. These results suggest that shorter periods of wheel-running reinforcement have higher reinforcement value than longer durations—findings incompatible with the earlier research showing more resistance to extinction with large reinforcement magnitudes. We offer an interpretation based on response deprivation arising from restriction of the wheel-access interval and its motivational impact on wheel running as a reinforcing consequence and on responding for wheel-running r...

Source: Learning and Motivation - February 4, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research