Effects of varied extinction conditions with alcoholics and social drinkers.

In a task analogous to excessive drinking behavior, 30 alcoholics and 30 social drinkers trained on a 100% rewarded button-pressing response received one of three extinction conditions: nonreward, simultaneous reward-punishment, and punishment only. The 5s could discontinue responding at any time during the extinction phase. Alcoholics showed significantly greater resistance to extinction in the punishment and reward-punishment conditions, but not in the nonreward condition. No differences were found between S groups during acquisition. Using an anticipatory punishment response model, an explanation of maladaptive operant responding in the alcoholic was suggested.