Resistance to extinction in rats as a function of deprivation level and schedule of reward in acquisition

Conducted 3 straight-alley investigations with 84 male and 44 female Holtzman albino rats. 2 levels of deprivation were combined factorially with 2 schedules of reward (50 or 100%) in acquisition. Deprivation level in extinction was equated. When extinction deprivation level was low either there was no difference in extinction due to acquisition deprivation level or groups trained under high deprivation were more resistant to extinction than groups trained under low deprivation, as they were when deprivation level was high in extinction. It is suggested that at least 2 factors influence resistance to extinction as a function of acquisition deprivation level deprivation-related stimuli and some factor which produces greater resistance to extinction following high deprivation in acquisition. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).