REWARD MAGNITUDE CHANGES FOLLOWING DIFFERENTIAL CONDITIONING AND PARTIAL REINFORCEMENT

A total of 130 rats (86 male hooded and 44 male albino) were deployed through 3 experiments which examined the effect of differential conditioning and partial reinforcement on the instrumental performance change which follows a shift in reward value. Both manipulations decreased the rate of change following a reward decrement, and both decreased the final level of performance achieved after a reward increment, but did not affect the rate of approach to that final level. The data were generally consistent with predictions derived from frustration theory. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.