Discriminative inhibition is specific to the response-reinforcer association but not to the discriminative stimulus.
In 4 experiments an instrumental contingency between a response and a reinforcer was introduced in the presence of a discriminative stimulus. Then a discriminative inhibitor (S delta) was established that signaled that the instrumental contingency would no longer operate in the presence of that discriminative stimulus, so that the S delta suppressed operant responding. The degree to which the S delta, s inhibitory properties transferred to different discriminative stimuli and different response-reinforcer associations was then explored. In Experiments 1 and 2 the S delta, s effects transferred perfectly to a 2nd discriminative stimulus, whereas the results of Experiments 3 and 4 were consistent with the hypothesis that the S delta, s inhibitory properties were specific to the original response-reinforcer association. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Bonardi
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C
Department of Psychology, University of York, United Kingdom.
Hall
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G
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology