Voltage level and skin resistance in avoidance conditioning in inbred strains of mice.

Abstract

The effect of voltage level on rate of active avoidance conditioning and rate of extinction was measured for 1 slow-conditioning and 2 fast-conditioning strains of mice. As voltage increased (40-400 v.), large differences in conditioning rate between the slow and fast strains disappeared. Voltage level had little effect, either within or among strains, on rate of extinction. A 2nd experiment tested the hypothesis that a slow and a fast strain would differ in their emotional reactivity (fear) when shocked with 100 v. Skin resistance was used as an index of fear and the hypothesis was confirmed.