Maze Learning by Secondary Reinforcement without Discrimination Training

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine whether discrimination training is necessary to establish a neutral stimulus as a secondary reinforcer. Twenty rats were discrimination trained with 65 reward trials and 25 nonreward trials (black end-box positive, white end-box negative, and vice versa); 20 rats were single-stimulus trained to either a black or white end-box for 65 reward trials. T-maze test trials were given at a rate of 1 free choice and 3 forced-choice trials per day for 11 days. One-half of the Ss in each training group were given standard nonreward test trials; one-half of the Ss from each training condition were rewarded for both maze choices. The results showed that all 4 experimental groups performed significantly better than chance in the T maze. The successful test effects were attributed, in part, to the control of such factors as frustration and stimulus novelty. The data further suggest that discrimination training is not necessary for the production of secondary reinforcement effects.