Reinforcement-based response elimination: the effects of response-reinforcement interval and response specificity

Compared extinction and 4 reinforcement-based procedures for eliminating a response in 5 groups of 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two procedures provided for reinforcement of a specific alternative behavior (ALT-R), while 2 others were differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) contingencies. The effect of 10-sec and 1-sec response-reinforcment intervals was examined with each of the ALT-R and DRO groups in (a) a training phase, in which an original response was established; (b) a response elimination phase; (c) an extinction phase; and (d) a reacquisition phase. The fastest response elimination occurred in the ALT-R group, and the slowest occurred in the DRO 1-sec group. All reinforcement-based procedures showed an increase in original lever responses during the extinction phase, but this effect was lessened for both the groups that had experienced the 10-sec response-reinforcement interval. All groups showed rapid recovery of the original lever responses during reacquisition, but slower recovery was shown in the DRO 10-sec group. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved