Abstract:
Reinforcement omission in situations that show positive goal-gradients elevates subsequent responding (positive “frustration” effect). In this experiment, in a situation showing a negative goal-gradient, reinforcement omission depressed
subsequent responding (negative “frustration” effect). A simple hypothesis in
terms of discriminative after-effects of reinforcement accounts for both effects. The
same interpretation is adequate to describe frustration effects in runways and avoids problems faced by frustration theory. Some further tests of the hypothesis are proposed.
