Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1971

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Otten, Cynthia S.

Abstract

Eighteen rats were used to study two procedures for the extinction of discriminated avoidance. One group (OE) was placed on extinction defined by presenting shocks as programmed but independently of the S's responses, while the other group (CE) was placed on classical extinction defined by the removal of all shocks. The two procedures were compared in terms of rate of decline and terminal level of extinction performance. In addition, the two groups were placed on a discrimination reversal task in order to assess each procedure's effects on a new learning problem. The CE group reached a lower level of extinction performance in a fewer number of blocks than the OE Ss. Furthermore, the CE Ss were inferior to the OE Ss in terms of discrimination reversal performance as well. An interpretation of the results in terms of the removal and reinstatement of cues was offered although an alternative explanation relating to a change in the motivational states of the two groups during extinction was also presented. The interpretation in terms of the presence or absence of cues seemed to account for more of the present findings than the traditional one advocating changes in motivational levels resulting from the two divergent extinction operations.

Extent

84 p.

Comments

Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1971.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1971.

Identifier

FADT13433

Format

pdf

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