Extinction and reacquisition performance as a function of sucrose-solution rewards and numbers of acquisition trials.

Abstract

Hungry rats ( n = 76) received straight runway acquisition training at 1 of 3 sucrose reinforcement magnitudes (20 licks, 5% solution; 20 licks, 50% solution; or 100 licks, 50% solution) for 1 of 3 numbers of training trials (20, 40, or 100). This was followed by 40 extinction trials, then 16 reacquisition trials at either the highest or the lowest reward magnitude. Both acquisition and extinction performance were increased by larger values of the acquisition variables. Reacquisition performance was positively related to reacquisition magnitude and, on some performance variables, both acquisition variables. These results were contrasted to those obtained when reinforcement is manipulated by the use of different magnitudes of food rewards.