Behavioral Contrast as a Function of Two Different Reinforcers

Behavioral contrast was investigated in 17 male rats in three separate experiments in which one component of a multiple schedule was associated with a sucrose solution of either 8%, 16%, or 32%, while the reinforcer in the other component was a standard 45 mg food pellet. All rats showed a higher rate of responding in the food than the sucrose component. Following extinction of the sucrose component, no contrast was obtained in any of the three experiments. However, when the food component was extinguished, contrast-like effects were observed in almost all subjects regardless of the sucrose concentration associated with the constant component. The possibility that the obtained contrast was an artifact of a continuously rising baseline was considered. However, the results also seem to be consistent with a preference-frustration interpretation. Contrast was obtained only when food, the preferred reinforcer, was extinguished, probably because the absence of such a reinforcer produced a state of frustration in the subjects which in turn was reflected in an increase in the rate of responding in the constant component

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• Failure to Obtain Positive Behavioral Contrast in the Rat Following Extended Acquisition

  Mitri E Shanab, Jeff Kong•The Journal of General Psychology•1977

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• Frustrative nonreward in partial reinforcement and discrimination learning

  Abram Amsel•Psychological Review•1962

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• Contrasted conditions of reinforcement

  Philip J Dunham•Psychological Bulletin•1968

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