The Effect of Number of Reinforcements and Post-Extinction Interval on Spontaneous Recovery

Authors

Earl D. ScottFollow
David L. Knutson

Document Type

Research

Abstract

Thirty hooded rats were trained in a Skinner box to press a bar to obtain a food reinforcement. Half of the subjects received 30 reinforced trials in training and half received 60 reinforcements. The response was extinguished to a criterion of 10 minutes without the occurrence of a response. Subjects from each of the reinforcement groups were equally divided and assigned to the three post-extinction test groups. One group was tested for spontaneous recovery 24 hours after extinction, the second was tested 48 hours after extinction, and the third group 72 hours following extinction. The only variable found to be significantly related to spontaneous recovery was number of reinforced responses in training, with greater number of reinforcements resulting in increased spontaneous recovery.

Publication Date

1964

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

71

Issue

1

First Page

425

Last Page

429

Copyright

©1964 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Scott, Earl D. and Knutson, David L. (1964) "The Effect of Number of Reinforcements and Post-Extinction Interval on Spontaneous Recovery," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 71(1), 425-429.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol71/iss1/63