Duration of Delay, Delay-Box Confinement, and Runway Performance

Abstract

Sttmmary.-Rats ( N = 6 9 ) were trained in a runway under 0-, lo-, and 20-sec. delays and extinguished with 0-, lo-, 20-sec. delay-box confinements using one trial/day in each stage of the experiment. Duration of delay in training was inversely related to running speed in acquisition and in extinction. Duration of confinement in extinction was inversely related to running speed in extinction. Increases in delay from training to extinction led to fastec extinction; decreases in delay to slower extinction.

Durability of the partial reinforcement and partial delay of reinforcement extinction effects after minimal acquisition training

“…Surridge et al (1968) report some unpublished findings which indicate that extinction following acquisition under a constant 30-sec delay interval produces even less resistance to extinction than acquisition under continuous reinforcement conditions. Indirect support of the absence of a CDRE is to be found in several studies which showed that no evidence of learning is found under constant delay (Logan, 1960;Wike & McWilliams, 1967). Moreover, Couch and Stanley (1967) found that Ss delayed 30 sec on all trials performed at the same level as Ss receiving nonreinforcement all the time.…”