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VICIOUS CIRCLE BEHAVIOUR UNDER TWO SHOCK INTENSITIES
Author(s) -
HURWITZ HARRY M. B.,
BOLAS DAPHNE,
HARITOS MARIA
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1961.tb00803.x
Subject(s) - phenomenon , psychology , punishment (psychology) , shock (circulatory) , virtuous circle and vicious circle , social psychology , property (philosophy) , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , physics , keynesian economics , epistemology , economics , medicine , philosophy , quantum mechanics
An experiment is reported to investigate some of the procedural factors underlying the vicious circle behaviour (VCB) phenomenon, first described by Mowrer. By definition, VCB involves self‐punishment. Previous experiments had shown that under selected conditions behaviour resulting in self‐punishment does not extinguish. In the present experiment, two parameters of the behavioural situation generating VCB are examined: the intensity of shock and the temporal property of the warning signal during initial training trials. The parameters were found to be determinants of the phenomenon. The results are described in terms of discrimination learning factors.