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

Abstract

Six groups of albino rats were extinguished in a straight alley after receiving two daily trials an one of the following varied quality and/or quantity of reward sequences: 1 regular pellet followed by 1 regular pellet, 1 regular pellet followed by 1 sucrose pellet, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 1 regular pellet, 1 regular pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, and 16 sucrose pellets followed by 1 sucrose pellet. Further evidence for an extension of the sequential hypothesis to include quality of reward was provided by showing that greater resistance to extinction results when a high-quality reward follows a low-quality reward than when the opposite sequence occurs. In addition, variations in both quantity and quality of reward produced more resistance to extinction than variations in quantity of reward alone.