Resistance to extinction as a function of age and schedules of reinforcement.

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of six different percentages of reinforcement upon extinction of a leverpulling response. Four age levels were employed to determine developmental changes in resistance to extinction. The apparatus employed was a simulated slot machine designed for use with young children. A total of 216 children at CA 4, 6, 8, and 11 received reinforcement on either 0, 1/6, 1/3, 3/5, 4/5, or all of the trials of a 30-trial acquisition period. The extinction trials were continued until S wished to stop or until 370 extinction responses had been made. The response measure was the total number of responses to extinction. A decrease in number of responses during extinction was found with increasing percentages of reinforcement. The least number of trials to extinction was shown by Ss at CA 4 and the greatest by Ss at CA 8. There was no significant interaction between CA and percentage of reinforcement.
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