Conditioned suppression of the proboscis-extension response in young, middle-aged, and old Drosophila melanogaster flies: acquisition and extinction

Abstract

Young (7 days old), middle-aged (30 days old), and old (50 days old) Drosophila melanogaster males were used in an inhibitory conditioning of the proboscis-extension response. Two reinforcement schedules were applied, constant vs. partial. Partial reinforcement increased the number of trials needed to reach the learning criterion to the same extent in all age groups. Young flies needed fewer trials to reach the criterion than both middle-aged and old flies, which did not differ from each other. Extinction was delayed in the partial reinforcement groups by the same amount in all age groups. The slowest rate of extinction was observed in the old group and the fastest for the middle-aged flies. The results are discussed in connection with hypotheses that consider extinction an index either of behavioral rigidity or of strength of the initial learning.