Overtraining Effects on Reversal and Nonreversal Discrimination Shifts with a Continuously Reinforced Free Operant

1967 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles N. Uhl ◽  
B. Kent Parker ◽  
Philip B. Wooton
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Irrelevant Stimulus ◽  
Stimulus Dimension ◽  
Single Stimulus ◽  
Reversal Shift ◽  
Nonreversal Shift ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Discrimination Criterion ◽  
Free Operant Situation

Rats were trained on a single-stimulus, successive discrimination in a free operant situation with continuous reinforcement of responding to S+. Ss were given 0, 4, or 8 days of overtraining (OT) after reaching the discrimination criterion. Half of the Ss were given a reversal shift (RS) and half a nonreversal shift (NRS). An irrelevant stimulus dimension was present at all times in Exp. 1, and it was absent in Exp. 2. OT did not affect RS or NRS learning in either experiment. NRS learning was faster than RS learning. These results were contrasted with other studies which have reported that OT facilitated RS learning and impeded NRS learning. Certain theoretical interpretations of discrimination learning, particularly Sutherland's treatment of centrally mediated attentional mechanisms, were critically discussed in light of the present findings.

Effects of Overtraining on Reversal and Nonreversal Discrimination Shifts in a Free Operant Situation

1964 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 927-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles N. Uhl
Keyword(s):  
Irrelevant Stimulus ◽  
Stimulus Dimension ◽  
Single Stimulus ◽  
Reversal Shift ◽  
Nonreversal Shift ◽  
Acquisition Criterion ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Theoretical Issues ◽  
Free Operant Situation

Rats were trained on a single-stimulus, successive discrimination in a free operant situation. An irrelevant stimulus dimension was present at ail times. Following attainment of the acquisition criterion, Ss were shifted immediately or given 4 or 8 days of overtraining before being shifted. Half of Ss were given a reversal shift and half a nonreversal shift. Overtraining did not affect reversal or nonreversal learning. These results were contrasted with those of Mackintosh (1962). Various theoretical issues were discussed in light of the present findings. It was tentatively concluded that the overtraining effect depends upon the role of observing behavior in the formation and overtraining of a discrimination.

Overtraining Extinction Effect Using a Free-Operant Procedure

1972 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom N. Tombaugh ◽  
Pierre St. Jean
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Resistance To Extinction ◽  
Extended Training ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Increasing Function ◽  
Operant Procedure ◽  
Free Operant Situation

The effects of five levels of training (210, 490, 1470, 2450, 3430 reinforced responses) on extinction performance were investigated. A free-operant bar-press paradigm was employed. A continuous reinforcement schedule was used with .12 ml. of 64% sucrose. Number of bar-presses and duration of time to reach a 1-min. non-response criterion showed that resistance to extinction was an increasing function of the number of reinforcements during training. However, the amount of time required to reach a 5-min. criterion showed the opposite relationship. It was concluded that different criteria reflected different patterns of extinction behavior and that the overtraining extinction effect (decreased resistance to extinction following extended training) could be demonstrated in a free-operant situation if the appropriate criteria were selected.

Distinctive Phonetic Features as Relevant and Irrelevant Stimulus Dimensions in Speech-Sound Discrimination Learning

1974 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-425
Author(s):  
Stuart I. Ritterman ◽  
Nancy C. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Irrelevant Dimension ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Irrelevant Stimulus ◽  
Relevant Dimension ◽  
Phonetic Features ◽  
Sound Discrimination ◽  
Nonsense Syllables

Thirty-two college students were required to learn the relevant dimension in each of two randomized lists of auditorily presented stimuli. The stimuli consisted of seven pairs of CV nonsense syllables differing by two relevant dimension units and from zero to seven irrelevant dimension units. Stimulus dimensions were determined according to Saporta’s units of difference. No significant differences in performance as a function of number of the irrelevant dimensions nor characteristics of the relevant dimension were observed.

Extinction in the Pigeon after Continuous Reinforcement: Effect of Number of Reinforced Responses

1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel Furumoto
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Food Pellet ◽  
Key Peck ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Gm Food ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Time To Extinction ◽  
Monotonically Increasing Function ◽  
Increasing Functions ◽  
Increasing Function

Number of responses and time to extinction were measured after 3, 10, 1000, 3000, 5000, and 10,000 reinforced key-peck responses during conditioning. Each response was reinforced with a 045-gm. food pellet. The number of responses in extinction was a monotonically increasing function which became asymptotic beyond 1000 reinforced responses. Number of reinforced responses during conditioning significantly affected the number of responses in extinction ( p < .001) but not the time to extinction. The results support the findings of previous free-operant bar-press studies with rats. Free-operant animal studies of extinction after continuous reinforcement have consistently produced monotonically increasing functions and have typically employed relatively small amounts of reinforcement. Amount of reward may be an important parameter determining the shape of the extinction function in the free-operant studies.

Effect of Reinforcement of the Negative Discriminandum in Differential Conditioning

1964 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Donovick ◽  
Leonard E. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Differential Conditioning ◽  
Discrimination Problem ◽  
Single Stimulus ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Learning Situation ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
The Difference

The present investigation was concerned with the reduction of inhibition associated with the negative discriminandum in a single stimulus discrimination learning situation. In Phase I 33 female rats were trained on a black-white discrimination problem. In the second phase Ss were divided into three groups which received: (a) 100% reinforcement to both the old positive and negative discriminanda; (b) four trials per day to the old negative, 100% reward; (c) eight trials per day to the old negative, 100% reward. As in previous studies, which employed simultaneous discrimination learning conditions, speed to the old negative remained significantly below speed to the old positive in the second phase. However, unlike the previous results, the difference decreased over trials. No differences were found between the groups that had trials to the old negative cue only, or between these groups and either speed to the old positive or the old negative in the case of the group receiving reward on both cues.

Effect of a novel stimulus dimension on discrimination learning.

1968 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Richman ◽  
John Trinder
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Stimulus Dimension

The Concept of Generalization in Behaviour Therapy

1982 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Lindsay ◽  
Bertram E. Stoffelmayr
Keyword(s):  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Stimulus Dimension ◽  
Single Stimulus ◽  
Stimulus Generalization ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Treatment Situation ◽  
Response Generalization ◽  
Principles Of Learning

Several writers have been interested in the extent to which behaviour therapy techniques are derived from the principles of learning. The present paper reviews this issue with respect to stimulus generalization and response generalization in behaviour therapy. Generalization has been a problem because many therapists have reported that newly learned skills and behaviours have not transferred outside the treatment situation to settings in the patients' or clients' life. Reviewing the literature on stimulus generalization it is concluded that in research on learning theory, stimulus generalization is shown to occur along a single stimulus dimension while in the behaviour therapy literature researchers often attempt to produce generalization across many stimulus dimensions simultaneously and as a result generalization may be poor. It is suggested that subsequent therapy and research should be designed so that treatment situations and generalization situations differ on as few stimulus dimensions as possible, thus maximizing the probability of generalization. With respect to response generalization it is felt that the concept is weak as an explanation for behaviour change and it may be more useful to consider that behaviours are functionally related, so that changes in behaviour A will produce changes in behaviour B or that covert responses may account for changes in untreated behaviours. Finally, a recommendation is made that therapists be more precise about the stimulus dimensions along which they wish behaviour to generalize.

Reversal- and Non-Reversal-Shift Discrimination Learning as a Function of Drive in Albino Rats

1974 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-452
Author(s):  
Jerome S. Cohen ◽  
Gabor A. Telegdy
Keyword(s):  
Trial Block ◽  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Water Deprivation ◽  
High Water ◽  
Drive Level ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Reversal Shift

Drive level affected reversal rather than non-reversal-shift learning during initial shift-discrimination trials. Animals under high water deprivation during the original simultaneous discrimination and reversal-shift discrimination made more initial (first trial-block) errors during reversal-shift than animals that were maintained on moderate deprivation during either or both discrimination tasks.

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