Disinhibition of an Operant Response

Abstract

A total of 320 rats were employed in experiments analyzing the phenomenon of disinhibition of an operant bar-pressing response. The parameters explored were type of "inhibitory operation" preceding the test for disinhibition, and modality, duration, directionality, intensity, and prior exposure to the disinhibiting stimulus. The disinhibition phenomenon was highly general, occurring under almost all test conditions. The phenomenon, however, could be produced during extinction only when probability of response was at a "critical" low, but greater than zero, level. When animals with the same "critical" response probability were tested during acquisition, before bar-pressing had reached a higher level of probability, disinhibition never occurred. Theories attempting to account for both the inhibiting and disinhibiting effects of extraneous stimuli were examined.