Effects of Frequency and Specificity of Information Feedback on Acquisition and Extinction of a Positioning Task

Abstract

An experiment designed to specify the process similarities of information feedback and reinforcement and to note the interaction of 2 major feedback variables on a simple positioning task. 80 students were randomly divided into 4 groups receiving either 25, 50, 75, or 100% schedules of feedback, analogous to fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. The 4 groups were further divided into 2 subgroups that differed in terms of specificity of feedback. Results indicated that when all Ss were provided the same number of feedbacks, the groups did not differ during acquisition. Groups with partial information feedback demonstrated greater resistance to extinction. The coarse-scale treatment facilitated learning but had no effect during extinction. There was no interaction between frequency and specificity of information.