Response‐force changes early in extinction with and without a changing force criterion during training.

This experiment was designed to examine the question of how different force‐exertion requirements in effect prior to extinction affect force exertion during extinction of the previously reinforced response, with an emphasis on such effects early in extinction. Human participants were exposed to one...

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Published in:Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Vol. 125; no. 1; pp. 1 - 15
Main Authors: Alesssandri, Jerome, Lattal, Kennon A.
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Jan2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2026
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        191105958
        10.1002/jeab.70066
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        atl: Response‐force changes early in extinction with and without a changing force criterion during training.
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        au:
          Alesssandri, Jerome
          Lattal, Kennon A.
        affil:
          Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193–SCALab–Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
          West Virginia University, Morgantown WV,, USA
      su:
        Reinforcement (Psychology)
        Behavior modification
        Human research subjects
        Extinction (Psychology)
        Experimental psychology
        Muscle strength
      sug:
        subj:
          Reinforcement (Psychology)
          Behavior modification
          Human research subjects
          Extinction (Psychology)
          Experimental psychology
          Muscle strength
      keyword:
        extinction
        extinction burst
        reinforcement history
        response force
        extinction
        extinction burst
        reinforcement history
        response force
      ab: This experiment was designed to examine the question of how different force‐exertion requirements in effect prior to extinction affect force exertion during extinction of the previously reinforced response, with an emphasis on such effects early in extinction. Human participants were exposed to one of three conditions in which making a force‐exertion response resulted in points displayed on a computer screen. In two conditions, the response‐force requirement was fixed during the reinforcement phase at a force exertion of either 50%–65% or 100%–125% of the force criterion exerted in a pretest. During the third condition, the force‐exertion criterion was decreased progressively from 100%–125% to 50%–65% of the force criterion during the reinforcement phase. After a short adjustment period, response‐force exertions generally conformed to the force requirements for reinforcement. Removing the opportunity for reinforcement reduced the number of responses relative to those occurring in the reinforcement phase, although some responding was still occurring for most participants at the end of the extinction phase. The results are discussed in relation to the variables responsible for the extinction of a force‐defined response, emphasizing changes in force early in extinction.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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