Discriminated bar-press avoidance maintenance and extinction in rats as a function of shock intensity.

Abstract

30 RATS ACQUIRED A BAR-PRESS AVOIDANCE RESPONSE UNDER FAVORABLE (.2 MA.) SHOCK INTENSITY. DURING 900 SUBSEQUENT TRAINING TRIALS (AVOIDANCE "MAINTENANCE" PHASE) SHOCK WAS RAISED TO 4 MA. FOR 10 SS, TO 1 MA. FOR 10 SS, AND REMAINED AT .2 MA. FOR 10 SS. IN CONTRAST TO THE INVERSE RELATIONSHIP USUALLY REPORTED FOR SHOCK INTENSITY AND AVOIDANCE ACQUISITION, AVOIDANCE MAINTENANCE WAS FOUND TO BE POSITIVELY RELATED TO SHOCK LEVEL. ALSO IN CONTRAST TO MOST PREVIOUS STUDIES, RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION WAS SHOWN TO BE POSITIVELY RELATED TO SHOCK LEVEL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)