Effect of a warning signal preceding a noxious stimulus on verbal rate and heart rate.

Abstract

Ss said words throughout a 52-min. session. Training consisted of 12 trials during which a 1-min. tone was coterminal with a 1-sec. shock. 5 extinction trials were then given. Found that repeated tone-shock pairings resulted in a marked increase of verbal rate following onset of tone. On fifth extinction trial, one no longer affected verbal rate. Experimental group showed progressive heart acceleration from pretone to posttone to preshock to postshock. On last extinction trial, heart rate changes no longer occurred to the tone. Concluded that anxiety does not always depress the rate of continuous behavior.