Resistance to extinction in humans: Analysis of the generalized partial reinforcement effect

Abstract

The effects of various probabilities of reinforcement on the persistence of learned behaviors were examined to investigate the generalization of persistence effects and other aspects of extinction behaviors observed in humans. Subjects were required to perform two tasks concurrently. Both tasks required the subject to make one of four responses for reinforcement. Performance for each task was reinforced using one of three schedules of reinforcement: 100, 60, or 40% probability of contingent reinforcement. Three of the groups received the same schedule of reinforcement for both tasks, (groups 100 100 , 60 60 , and 40 40 ). The other six groups experienced a combination of two different schedules (groups 100 60 , 60 100 , 100 40 , 40 100 , 60 40 , and 40 60 ). Both acquisition and extinction data suggest that there is a generalization of persistence across tasks. The data also confirm the presence of different extinction phases for tasks of this type, a short-term and a long-term phase. The short-term phase is characterized by a decrease in responding that is inversely related to reinforcement schedules. During the long-term phase, the rate of responding remained above chance levels, and a reemergence of the formerly reinforced response was observed as extinction continued. The duration of these phases appears to be related to the average of reinforcement schedules experienced in acquisition.