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Extinguished operant responding shows stimulus specificity.

Frances K McSweeney1, Eric S Murphy, Benjamin P Kowal

  • 1Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4820, USA. fkmcs@mail.wsu.edu

Behavioural Processes
|March 5, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Extinguished operant responding in pigeons was restored when the stimulus changed during extinction. This supports the habituation hypothesis, suggesting response decline is due to habituation to specific stimuli.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Animal Cognition
  • Operant Conditioning

Background:

  • Operant responding, reinforced by food, was studied in pigeons.
  • Stimulus specificity in extinguished responding was investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test stimulus specificity in extinguished operant responding.
  • To evaluate the habituation hypothesis of extinction.

Main Methods:

  • Eight pigeons were trained on a variable interval (VI) 60-s schedule with key pecking for food.
  • Key light color (red or white) was manipulated during training and extinction sessions.
  • Extinction sessions involved either constant key light or a color change mid-session.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Response rates increased significantly after a change in key light color during extinction.
  • Results align with the habituation hypothesis, where habituation to specific stimuli causes response decline.

    • Conclusions:

    • Habituation to specific stimuli may explain response decline during extinction.
    • Changes in stimulus conditions violate habituation specificity, restoring responding.
    • The habituation hypothesis offers a parsimonious and testable explanation for extinction phenomena.