One-way and two-way learning and transfer of an active avoidance response in normal and cingulectomized cats.

Abstract

Response-facilitation and fear-facilitation drive hypotheses were examined as possible explanations for active-avoidance deficits (AAR) found in cingulectomized cats given double-grill (2-way) training. Compared with normal Ss, cingulectomized cats were deficient in both 2-way AAR learning and in transfer to a 2-way task from a previously learned 1-way task. Normal and cingulectomized Ss did not differ in acquiring a 1-way AAR or in transfer to a 1-way from a 2-way task. Cingulectomized Ss showed significantly more vocalization and freezing than did normal Ss; freezing was most frequent in 2-way tasks. Facilitation of fear by cingulate lesions accounts for these and related findings.