Generalized extinction and secondary reinforcement in visual discrimination learning with delayed reward.

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Abstract
Four groups of rats were run in a white-black visual discrimination learning situation with 2-sec. delay of reward. In one group, the end boxes were the same in color as the corresponding stimulus alleys. For a 2d group only the goal box was the same as the positive choice-point stimulus. In the 3d group, the empty end box was the same as the negative stimulus. For a control group neither end box was like the choice-point stimuli. In terms of trials and errors to a criterion, all 3 experimental groups were significantly superior to the control group. There were only small differences among the 3 exptl. groups, but the group with only the goal box similar to the positive stimulus was somewhat inferior to the other 2. The results substantiate an earlier hypothesis of delayed reward discrimination learning as generalization of secondary reinforcement to the choice-point cue. However, the experiment suggests this interpretation is incomplete and that in this situation an even more effective variable is a generalization of extinction to the negative choice-point cue.
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