Choice of Non‐reinforcement Following Forced Alternation

Previous research has suggested conditions for the learning of the non‐rewarded instead of the rewarded of two alternatives. Two experiments were performed with a reconvergent maze, in which food reward depended upon passing through only one of the two pathways. Rats given a block of non‐rewarded then a block of rewarded trials chose predominantly the rewarded pathway during free‐choice extinction testing, but those subjected to simple alternation sequences of rewarded and non‐rewarded trials chose primarily the non‐rewarded pathway. Faster running on non‐rewarded trials preceded choice of the non‐rewarded pathway by alternation subjects, and the evidence suggests that increased training led to greater preference for the non‐rewarded alternative

Alternation (linguistics) · Chose · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Extinction (optical mineralogy) · Preference · Reinforcement · Spontaneous alternation · Statistics · Two-alternative forced choice · Memory and Neural Mechanisms · Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior · Neuroscience · Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology