Extinction as a function of varied quality and quantity of reward sequence in a straight alley

Abstract

Four groups of male albino rats were extinguished in a straight alley after receiving two daily trials on one of the following varied quality and/or quantity of reward sequences: 1 alfalfa pellet followed by 1 sucrose pellet, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 1 alfalfa pellet, a single alfalfa pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, and a single sucrose pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets. The results indicated that a high-quality reward following a low-quality reward produced greater resistance to extinction than when a low-quality reward followed a high-quality reward. The findings were interpreted within Capaldi’s sequential theory.