title: Effects of overtraining on extinction in newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster).
abstract: The overtraining extinction effect (OEE), a phenomenon in which extended training facilitates extinction, has been found in mammals and reptiles. However, fish have never shown OEE. No study has yet investigated OEE in newts, a representative amphibian species. We tested whether newts, Cynops pyrrhogaster, show OEE in a straight-array task. All animals received five trials per day and were given a piece of dried worm during reinforced trials. They showed significant acquisition and extinction effects in reinforced and nonreinforced trials. However, we found no difference in extinction performance between a group with 25-trial acquisition and one with 75-trial acquisition, suggesting that OEE was not found in newts. OEE has generally been explained in terms of frustration-related mechanisms. Our results suggest that emotional reactions to nonreward, such as frustration, may not influence behavior in amphibians.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cognition and Learning, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan. zenkou@pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibasaki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D010056:Overlearning; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012455:Salamandridae