A flexible and generalizable model of online latent-state learning
Fig 5
Partial reinforcement extinction effect.
A) Experimental results from Jenkins [41] demonstrating that the associative strength of a cue is harder to extinguish after partial reinforcement (Group 20P) compared to continuous reinforcement (Group 20R). Reprinted from “Resistance to extinction when partial reinforcement is followed by regular reinforcement” by H.M. Jenkins, 1962, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64, p. 443. Reprinted with permission from the American Psychological Association. B) Simulation of partial reinforcement effect (Experiment 1). This effect is observed even when partial reinforcement is followed by continuous reinforcement prior to extinction (Experiment 2). Our model captures these effects, because an agent is better able to discriminate between reinforcement and extinction with a continuous reinforcement schedule. The agent can thus shift their beliefs to a new latent state in order to build new associations for extinction. Beliefs in the first latent state are shown for models with latent states. Gray dashed lines demarcate experimental stages.