Partial Delay and Partial Reinforcement Effects on Resistance to Continuous Delay: Some Effects of Sequential Manipulations

Abstract

Rats were trained in a straight-alley runway in two replications of 24 rats each. Two groups received partial reinforcement training with one or three successive nonreward trials (N-length), two groups received partial delay training with one and three successive delayed trials (D-length), and two additional groups received immediate continuous reinforcement. Following training all groups were shifted to continuous delay. The results indicated that D-length increased resistance to continuous delay, however, N-length did not have the corresponding effect. The performance of both N-length groups equalled that of the D-length 3 group, but the D-length 1 group was inferior and not different from the continuously reinforced control groups. These results were discussed in terms of Capaldi's (1967) sequential theory of instrumental learning.