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Sixty rats were trained in a runway with either small-or large-reward magnitude. Both small and large rewards were presented in single-or multiplepellet form. One training trial was given each day for 120 days. Early in training the large-reward animals ran faster than those receiving small reward and the effect was more pronounced in the multiple-pellet condition. Later in training the small-reward animals equaled the performance of the animals receiving large reward and even ran somewhat faster in the run section of the alley. The typical extinction effect of greater persistence for smallreward animals was observed, but only in the goal section.Both Black (1969) and McCain, Dyleski, and McElvain (1971) have published several experiments seriously questioning the long-held assumption that instrumental performance increases in strength with increases in reward magnitude. McCain et al. compared large (one 500-mg. pellet) and small (one 45-mg. pellet) reward in a runway after 24, 54, 60, 70, 78, 90, 116, or 135 training trials. They reported that large reward facilitated running speeds after limited training (24 trials) but that the effect was minimal or nonexistent after extended training (54-135 trials). The typical extinction finding of greater persistence after training with small reward than after large reward was observable somewhat longer. McCain et al. reported extinction differences to be reliable after 24-90 trials but not after 116 or 135 trials.Most of the experiments reviewed by

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