Partial reinforcement extinction and omission effects in the elimination and recovery of discriminated operant behavior.

Abstract

Three experiments explored how training reinforcement schedules and context influence the elimination and recovery of human operant behavior. In Experiment 1, participants learned a discriminated operant response in Context A before the response was eliminated with extinction in Context B. They then received a final test in each context. Groups were trained with a discriminative stimulus that predicted a reinforced response on either every trial (continuous reinforcement [CRF]) or some of the trials (partial reinforcement [PRF]). Extinction was slower following PRF training (a partial reinforcement extinction effect [PREE]) and extinguished responding increased when tested in Context A ("ABA" renewal). Experiment 2 further confirmed the PREE was obtained equally whether extinction occurred in the training context (Context A) or a new context (Context B) which is consistent with trial-based accounts of the PREE. Experiment 3 used the same design as Experiment 1 to evaluate the influence of training reinforcement on response elimination with an omission contingency. Across the omission training phase in Context B, the decrease in responding occurred more slowly in the PRF-trained group in comparison to the CRF-trained group, perhaps the first demonstration of what might be termed a PRF omission effect. Again, ABA renewal was observed in Context A. Training reinforcement schedule therefore had a similar influence on response elimination with extinction and omission. Elimination and recovery of human instrumental behavior, with extinction or omission, are influenced by training reinforcement schedule and context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).