Comparison of Omission and Extinction Following Fr Reinforcement Training

The present experiment compared the response-elimination capabilities of omission training, in which reinforcement is contingent on the nonoccurrence of a previously reinforced response and extinction training following 2 different FR reinforcement training schedules. Treatment of the extinction Ss was different from usual in that an empty food hopper was presented during extinction according to the respective FR reinforcement schedule. Results indicated that the omission training groups eliminated responding at a significantly faster rate than the extinction training groups. Implications for future research in this area were discussed.