Abstract
Female albino rats were trained to avoid shock by jumping onto a ledge in an automated avoidance box. All animals received training with an intertriai interval (ITI) of 30 sec. After attaining a learning criterion of 10 consecutive avoidances, the shocker was disconnected and extinction trials began. Group C (N=9), a control group, continued to receive an ITI of SO sec during extinction. Group 1 (N=9) received an ITI of 6 sec and Group 2 (N=9) an ITI of 54 sec during extinction. Rats in Group 1 extinguished in significantly fewer trials than did those of either of the other two groups. All animals showed virtually no spontaneous recovery of the response one day later.
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References
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Oler, I.D., Baum, M. Facilitated extinction of an avoidance response through shortening of the inter-trial interval. Psychon Sci 11, 323–324 (1968). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328213
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328213