Two human Pavlovian conditioning experiments investigated the
impact of reinforcement density (the number of reinforced trials
divided by the total number of trials) on discrimination learning.
Experiment 1 used a negative patterning problem (A+, B+, AB−)
and Experiment 2 used a positive patterning problem (A−,
B−, AB+). In both experiments, reinforcement density varied
across four levels. Response differentiation between reinforced
and nonreinforced stimuli was linearly related to the decrease
in reinforcement density. Responses to nonreinforced stimuli
did not differ between the four groups in either experiment.
In contrast to this, responses to reinforced stimuli were
considerably more pronounced in conditions with lower reinforcement
density. For negative patterning, this replicates and extends
similar observations from other species. For positive patterning,
this is a finding that has not yet been reported in other
experiments. The results are in agreement with the comparator
hypothesis (Miller & Matzel, 1988) and with Wagner's
(1981) “standard operating procedures” (SOP) model.