Effect of goal box similarity on the after-effect of nonreinforcement and resistance to extinction.

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Abstract
Four groups of rats were trained to traverse a straight alley, 3 under the same pattern of partial reinforcement, 1 under consistent reinforcement. The partial groups were given intertrial reinforcement (ITR) following nonreinforced trials preceding reinforced trials. ITR consists in placing S [subject] by hand in the baited goal box during the intertrial interval. It was found, as hypothesized, that as similarity between the training goal box and the ITR goal box decreased, resistance to extinction increased. It was concluded that the availability of the nonreinforced aftereffect for conditioning on some trials depends upon the nature of the activities occurring between trials and that the proprioceptive consequences of the instrumental response function as aftereffects.

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