Behavioral effects of signaled versus unsignaled shock during escape training in the rat

Three main experiments and a supplemental one are reported using escape from signaled vs. unsignaled shock. Bar-depression holding time, speed of responding, and behavioral observations were recorded. Experiment 1 (n = 10) used a within-subjects design and Experiment 2 (n = 20) used a between-subjec...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of comparative & physiological psychology Vol. 72; no. 2; pp. 216 - 222
Main Authors:	Badia, Pietro, Culbertson, Stuart
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Arlington American Psychological Association 01-08-1970 Williams and Wilkins Co
Subjects:	Animal Animal Escape Behavior Animal Ethology Conditioning Cues Electroconvulsive Shock Female Rats
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Three main experiments and a supplemental one are reported using escape from signaled vs. unsignaled shock. Bar-depression holding time, speed of responding, and behavioral observations were recorded. Experiment 1 (n = 10) used a within-subjects design and Experiment 2 (n = 20) used a between-subjects design. All rats received 160 daily trials for 10 days. In both studies the signal had a marked effect on behavior. Bar-depression holding time was considerably less and exploration markedly greater with signaled shock than with unpredictable shock. No differences occurred for speed measures. Experiment 3 and the supplemental study recorded the pattern of bar holding during a fixed intertrial interval. A U-shaped distribution occurred for bar holding under predictable but not unpredictable shock.
ISSN:	0021-9940
DOI:	10.1037/h0020528