RESPONSE SPEED UNDER VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY CONDITIONS AS A FUNCTION OF PERCENTAGE OF REINFORCEMENT

Abstract

The efects of percentage of reinforcement (100 vs. 50 per cent) on the acquisition and extinction of a lever movement response were investigated when the S was free to leave the experiment whenever he wished (voluntary condition) and when he had to continue the experiment until completion (involuntary condition). During the acquisition series, the 50 per cent reinforced Ss performed faster and showed a greater increase in speed over trials than 100 per cent reinforced Ss, regardless of whether Ss were in the voluntary or involuntary condition. There were no significant effects with regard to the movement speeds during the extinction series for the involuntary condition Ss. In the voluntary condition, Ss on a 50 per cent reinforcement schedule quit the experiment sooner than those on a 100 per cent schedule. The failure of Ss in the 100 per cent involuntary condition to show a decrement in speed during the extinction series was interpreted as being due to frustration of their desire to quit.