Effects of pattern responding and amount of training on resistance to extinction

The extent of response patterning was examined as a predictor of resistance to extinction. Acquisition and extinction running times in an alleyway were obtained from 48 rats by 3 experimenters. Two durations of nonrewarded goalbox confinement in acquisition (A-NGC) and two numbers of single alternation trials were combined factorially to produce different amounts of pattern responding. One-half of each A-NGC group was shifted to the alternate nonrewarded goalbox confinement during extinction (E-NGC) to control for E-NGC effects. In acquisition, 200 trials resulted in the short A-NGC group not response patterning, while the long A-NGC group was; 300 trials resulted in both groups pattern responding with the long A-NGC group pattern responding to the greatest extent. In extinction, neither extent of pattern responding nor amount of training produced differential rates of extinction. Differential effects of shifts in nonrewarded goalbox confinement from acquisition to extinction following the two amounts of training suggest changes in the saliency of duration of nonrewarded goalbox confinement as a cue in pattern responding.