Studied the course of the inhibitory processes during the learning of original and interpolated materials and made a determination of the relative strengths of the competing response systems as a function of time following learning. Found (1) that the recovery of original learned responses during retention reached a level of approximately 40% of total as retention of the interpolated responses decreased, and (2) support for the hypothesis that extinction represents the acquisition of an antagonistic response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)