Generality of free-operant avoidance conditioning to human behavior

Reviews research on the generality of free-operant avoidance conditioning between human and nonhuman behavior, examining the topics of response acquisition, response maintenance, extinction, exteroceptive stimuli, and pharmacological agents. Differences between human and nonhuman behavior on avoidance schedules are compared with those identified for humans and nonhumans on schedules of positive reinforcement. The variables accounting for these differences in both literatures, and in the positive reinforcement literature alone, are discussed. Generality does exist between human and nonhuman avoidance conditioning, but differences similar to those between humans and nonhumans on schedules of positive reinforcement arise. These differences are amenable to explanations based on other established principles of behavior-environment relations. (4 p ref)