REINFORCEMENT RATE AND RESURGENCE: A PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The effects of reinforcement rates of alternative responding on resurgence were studied in two experiments with rats. In both experiments, left-and right-lever pressing were reinforced according to a multiple schedule in the Training and Alternative Reinforcement phase, respectively. In the Test phase, reinforcers were discontinued. In Experiment 1, reinforcement rates were similar between components in the Training phase, and different between components in the Alternative Reinforcement phase. This latter difference was manipulated parametrically across conditions. Resurgence occurred more frequently (i.e., in more sessions) and was of greater magnitude (i.e., response rates were relatively higher) in the rich (i.e., higher reinforcement rate) than in the lean (i.e., lower reinforcement rate) component. Additionally, for two of the four rats, the magnitude of resurgence in both components was positively related to reinforcement rates in the Alternative-Reinforcement phase. In Experiment 2, reinforcement rates were different between components in the Training phase, and similar between components in the Alternative Reinforcement phase.