4 guinea pigs were conditioned to avoid an electric shock. 4 others always got a shock regardless of activity; the latter group sat and awaited the shock. To test "silent extinction" 4 dogs were conditioned to avoid a shock. After complete conditioning, the shock was omitted until the response disappeared. 2 dogs received 400 more extinction trials; all were then reconditioned, a process requiring an average of 13.75 shocks for the second, of 5.25 for the first group. Extinction usually required 3 times as long as conditioning, but it could be hastened by applying a thoracic shock. A polygraph record shows that slight movements continue to occur long after "extinction" is complete. The authors conclude that extinction is a mechanism in its own right. The concept of silent extinction must be narrowly limited; unmotivated extinction remains incomplete, as does unmotivated conditioning.
CITATION STYLE
Brogden, W. J., Lipman, E. A., & Culler, E. (1938). The Role of Incentive in Conditioning and Extinction. The American Journal of Psychology, 51(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.2307/1416419
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