Elimination of self-punitive behavior with a novel stimulus and safety signal

Abstract

After escape training in an alley, rats received either nonpunished (NP) or punished (P) extinction, During extinction, NP and P groups received (a) a novel tone in the startbox, (b) a tone in the start- and goalboxes (the tone had been presented in the goalbox to these subgroups during acquisition-safety signal condition), or (c) no tone. Punishment produced greater resistance to extinction than nonpunishment (self-punitive effect) only under no-tone conditions. The elimination of self-punitive behavior with novel tone and safety signal treatment is consistent with the hypothesis that self-punitive running is motivated by excessive fear. © 1976 Psychonomic Society, Inc.