Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
Resistance to extinction, generalization decrement, and conditioned reinforcement
Alana E Dulaney1, Matthew C Bell
1Psychology Department, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053, United States.
Behavioural Processes
|February 5, 2008
Summary
Generalization decrement influences extinction resistance in pigeons. Greater reinforcement and specific stimuli increased resistance to extinction, supporting its role in behavioral change.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Extinction resistance is crucial for understanding behavioral persistence.
- Generalization decrement may play a role in how animals respond during extinction.
- Pigeon key pecking is a model for studying learning and extinction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate generalization decrement during extinction in pigeons.
- To examine how different amounts of reinforcement affect resistance to extinction.
- To assess the impact of specific extinction stimuli on resistance to change.
Main Methods:
- Pigeons were trained on a two-component multiple schedule with varying reinforcement durations (2s vs. 8s).
- Subjects underwent extinction tests under two conditions: hopper stimuli or control.
- Response resistance to extinction was measured and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Responding with 8s reinforcement was more resistant to extinction than with 2s reinforcement.
- The hopper stimuli group showed greater resistance to extinction than the control group.
- An interaction was observed between reinforcement amount, extinction condition, and session block.
Conclusions:
- Generalization decrement is a significant factor influencing resistance to extinction.
- Reinforcement history and specific extinction cues modulate behavioral persistence.
- Further research is needed on conditioned reinforcement's role in resistance to change.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
01:23Principles of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning, as described by Ivan Pavlov, is a foundational concept in associative learning, where a neutral stimulus becomes capable of eliciting a conditioned response through association with an unconditioned stimulus. The process of acquisition, where this learning occurs, and the subsequent phenomena of contiguity, contingency, generalization, discrimination, extinction, and spontaneous recovery are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of classical conditioning.
During the...
During the...
01:05Instinctive Drift
Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...
01:14Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
01:16Interference and Decay
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
01:15Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning not only includes the initial pairing of stimuli but also extends to more complex forms, such as higher-order conditioning. Higher-order conditioning involves creating associations beyond the primary conditioned stimulus, resulting in a chain of conditioned responses.
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...