POSITIVE CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT FROM AVERSIVE SITUATIONS

Concludes on the basis of proposed criteria for the evaluation of demonstrations of conditioned reinforcement based on shock termination, that there are no unequivocally positive outcomes. The demonstration of Pavlovian conditioned inhibition of fear in several paradigms suggests that in addition to the backward-conditioning procedure, Pavlovian differential-conditioning and conditioned-inhibition procedures with an aversive unconditioned stimulus may provide positive conditioned reinforcers. (28 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.