Extinction by retarded children following discrimination learning with and without errors.
Four groups of retarded children (N = 4 in each group) were trained to respond to a triangle with apex up (S+) and not to a triangle with apex down (S-), with and without errors. A free-operant procedure in which responding to S+ was intermittently reinforced and a trial procedure in which all responses to S+ were reinforced were compared. An extinction procedure in which responses were no longer reinforced was then introduced. Extinction resulted in substantial responding during S- for all groups, except the free-operant errorless group. S- responding during extinction did not differ between the errorless and error-trial groups and was maximum for the free-operant error group.
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D014796:Visual Perception