The informational value of a distinctive stimulus associated with the initiation of acquisition trials

Burstein, Kenneth R.; Moeser, Shannon Dawn

doi:10.1016/0023-9690(71)90023-3

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Consistent with the position that the beginning of a session of extinction is unique relative to latter parts, perhaps via temporal contiguity of the former with transportational stimuli, are: (1) an increase in spontaneous recovery when subjects are provided with a distinctive stimulus on the first trial of each session of acquisition (Burstein & Moeser, 1971), and (2) less spontaneous recovery following a single session of acquisition than following multiple sessions with total numbers of reinforcers equated (Homme, 1956). We are aware of no study, however, which directly demonstrates that transportational stimuli become associated with conditions of reinforcement within the apparatus and are in some way responsible for spontaneous recovery.…”

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confidence: 62%

Reductions in resistance to extinction and spontaneous recovery as a function of changes in transportational and contextual stimuli

Welker

McAuley

1978

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Thirty rats received 10 sessions of baseline training in which leverpressing was reinforced according to a variable-interval (VI) 60-sec schedule. Twenty-four of the subjects were then assigned to one of four groups that received five sessions of extinction, with groups being differentiated in a 2 by 2 factorial design on the basis of: (1) changes in stimuli accompanying transportation of subjects from home cages to the laboratory and placement in the apparatus, and/or (2) changes in contextual stimuli within the apparatus. During the sixth session of extinction, the transportational and contextual stimuli previously associated with baseline training were reinstated. The remaining six rats experienced changes in both transportational and contextual stimuli but were maintained on the VI 60-sec schedule of reinforcement. Changes in either transportational or contextual stimuli reduced resistance to extinction and spontaneous recovery, and substantial increments in responding occurred upon reinstatement of the transportational and contextual stimuli associated with baseline training. Evidence for summation of the two sources of stimulus change was obtained. Changes in transportational and contextual stimuli produced only a brief disruption in responding when reinforcement of leverpressing was continued.Conditioned responses that have been reduced to a near-zero level during extinction often "spontaneously" recover at the beginning of subsequent sessions of extinction (e.g., Burstein

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confidence: 62%

Reductions in resistance to extinction and spontaneous recovery as a function of changes in transportational and contextual stimuli

Welker

McAuley

1978

Animal Learning & Behavior

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“…An interpretation that further develops Skinner's and Estes' explanations is supported by a series of more recent studies (Burstein & Mackenzie, 1974;Burstein & Moeser, 1971;McMillan & Burstein, 1976;Welker & McAuley, 1978). This interpretation states that, in general, any operation that emphasizes the similarity between the onset of the acquisition session and the spontaneous recovery test trial, while simultaneously stressing the dissimilarity between the extinction sessions and this test trial, will result in the characteristic increase in the response strength associated with spontaneous reThis research was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant BNS 79-08839and was based on a BA honors thesis by the first author conducted under the direction of the second, Requests for reprints should be addressed to Mark D. Holder, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley.…”

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confidence: 78%

“…The measure of spontaneous recovery was the response frequency on the first test trial (the same measure employed by Burstein & Mackenzie, 1974;Burstein & Moeser, 1971;and McMillan & Burstein, 1976). An analysis of variance based on this measure was significant [F(8,S4) = 6.34, P < .001].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2) They differed as to whether or not responses to the distinctive red stimulus during acquisition were reinforced (R = reinforced; U = unrein- forced). The reinforcement condition was employed to determine whether the Burstein and Moeser (1971) study could be replicated using only I day of acquisition. The unreinforced condition was employed to determine whether reinforcement was necessary for a distinctive stimulus to increase responding during the spontaneous recovery test trial.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spontaneous recovery evoked by a nonreinforced stimulus

Holder

Burstein

1981

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Pigeons (nine groups of seven) were given one acquisition session of 20 trials. The following day their responding was extinguished, and after a 30-min rest period they were tested for residual response strength. The groups differed with respect to (1) whether a distinctive stimulus was presented during acquisition on the first trial, the 15th trial, or not at all, (2) whether or not responses to the distinctive stimulus were reinforced, and (3) whether a distinctive stimulus, a standard stimulus, or a completely novel stimulus was presented on the test trial. Results supported the position that a stimulus associated with the onset of an acquisition session, but not with the extinction session, evokes greater response strength on a spontaneous recovery test trial than do other stimuli in the acquisition session. This holds true even if responses to this stimulus are never reinforced. In addition, it was found that, unlike a previous study that invoked five daily acquisition sessions, pigeons did not demonstrate increased responding to a novel stimulus.

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“…In a recent study, Burstein and Moeser (1971) demonstrated that a stimulus, or stimulus characteristic, which is associated with the first trial of a series of reinforced acquisition trials is more resistant to extinction, following a rest period, than are other stimuli presented during the acquisition session. As they note, one of the· implications of their results is that "the 'rest period' currently viewed as essential for generating the phenomenon of spontaneous recovery may be merely one of an almost infmite number of operations which will generate the apparent increase in response strength associated with spontaneous recovery" (p. 233).…”

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confidence: 99%