Reductions in DRL Responding following Removal of the Response-Reinforcer Dependency

Rats' bar-press responses were conditioned on differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) schedules. The number of responses emitted was reduced to near 0 within 12 sessions after removal of the response-reinforcer dependency by changing to variable time schedules which approximated the pattern and frequency of reinforcer delivery during the previous DRL. These response reductions were similar to, but more rapid than, those observed when the response-reinforcer dependency is removed following extended conditioning on other schedules of response-dependent reinforcer presentation.