Extinction Flashcards
What is extinction?
When you remove reinforcement
CC: CS –> nothing (no UCS)
OC: A –B –> no C! (i/e/ no Sr+)
What happens in extinction? do they unlearn the contingency?
No! The animal learns the lack of relationship, it isn’t unlearned.
What happens when you use extinction trials?
The animal will get anxious and frustrated.
then the likelihood of seeing the response decreases with the possibility of extinction bursts.
What is an extinction burst?
A return of responding at increased intensity
Is extinction subject to spontaneous recovery?
Yes! When you take a break and try again the dog is likely to have a spontaneous recovery of the original response.
Does extinction happen right away?
No, the extinction bursts and responding will get shorter and less intense until the animal ceases to respond. That is when the B has been extinguished.
Can you get spontaneous recovery of a B that has been punished?
YES! Which is useful if something untoward happens when you are training (e.g. loud nose) don’t plough on. Take a break and come back another day and they anxious behv will probably have fallen away i.e. the old response has been subject to spontaneous recovery.
What is the caveat on sponteanous recovery in regards to behv?
It is only operative on B that have been learned really well.
What is the Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect?
The process of extinction is effected by the reinforcement sch it was on before extinction trials were undertaken.
CRF = R+ absence is extremely salient. Animal subject to arousal . R falls away quickly but the animal is frustrated and anxious
Intermittent/partial reinforcement sch = Takes longer for animal to notice the absence of R+. Less frustration is shown but R takes longer to extinguish
Why does it take longer to extinquish B that was on a partial reinforcement sch
a) less obviouis the contingency has changed
b) the PREE effect
What IS the PREE effect?
The animal is already accustomed to reciveing no R+ for responding. This is the Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect
Why is PREE bad news for dog owners?
Problem B is often maintained on a partial reinforcement Sch and therefore requires persistence from the O to extinguish the problem B. There may also be extinction bursts and spontaneous recovery of the problem behv.
O find it difficult to live through and persist with this extinction side effects
What area of the CTC course is applicable when thinking about the PREE effect?
Time Outs!!!!
Can you erase the PREE effect by switching the dog to CRF before undertaking extinction trials?
no! if the dog has been on a partial reinforcement sch for the B at any time the PREE will be in effect.
What is the PREE useful for?
Maintaining B when R+ is not available. E.g. obedience shows! Maintain the dog on a partial reinforcement schedule and the obedience trial (which would otherwise be an extinction trial with no R+/- OR P+/-) is “saved” by the PREE
