Day 18 - Extinction

Time: 30:00
Protocol ID: 25 (Extinction)
Event 1 Total: 121
Reinforcement Total: 0
Goal: Under 100 bar presses
Goal Reached: No

05:00 - 19 : 19
10:00 - 70 : 51
15:00 - 73 : 3
20:00 - 77 : 4
25:00 - 81 : 4
30:00 - 121 : 40


1:30 - Rat initially went to the bar and had her paws on it without pressing down. She then wondered the box, sniffed the magazine (very briefly), and wondered a bit.

2:45 - First true pressing "session" (more than one at a time) of 5 presses. She is grooming more often and sniffing, but not chewing or scratching, the magazine.

5:00 - Second session of 8 presses; she is starting to chew and scratch the magazine again but with less effort than on Day 17.

8:00 - Sessions are consistently lasting around 5 presses. It seems as if her association between the bar and the reinforcement treat is decreasing, but she still strongly associates the magazine with reinforcement.

9:00 - Long session with ~10 presses, 5 second pause, ~10 presses

Time breakdown: 1/2 wondering, grooming, 1/4 standing still, 1/4 sniffing, scratching, or chewing magazine and pressing bar

12:45 - It took 2:45 for her to press once and only once; she immediately started grooming to calm herself.

14:45 - Another 2:00 passed before one and only one bar press occurred. She immediately went to check the magazine. After doing this again, she slowly wondered away.

16:30 - She is spending more time on the wall with the door looking out and rearing up than on the magazine-and-bar wall. It seems as if she is truly starting to become extinct - to have her slate wiped clean, if you will

Time breakdown: 3/4 looking at, sniffing, and rearing on the door, 1/8 grooming, 1/8 looking at, standing by, or sniffing the magazine (but no chewing or scratching). She seems to be forgetting her previous association between the magazine and reinforcement.

23:00 - Took ~8:15 before a single bar press followed by a sniff of the magazine and ~0:45 before another single bar press.

25:00 - Session lasted only 2 presses with ~5 seconds between press and only ~5 seconds of sniffing the magazine after each press.

26:15 - Two scratches of the magazine followed by a single bar press. She is no longer grooming herself (and hasn't been for the past ~10 min) after pressing the bar. She is no longer becoming frustrated after pressing the bar and apparently does not feel the need to groom to calm herself after each failed press.

29:00 - Session of 7, sniff; 4, sniff; 5, sniff; 13, sniff; 4, sniff; 6, sniff

With the exception of the burst at the end, I think you can fully consider Rat extinct. Again, with the exception of the last 3:45, she exhibited little regard toward the bar or magazine, and the amount of time she spend even at the magazine (whether it be sniffing, scratching, or chewing) decreased drastically.