Traumatic avoidance learning: the effects of CS-US interval with a delayed-conditioning procedure in a free-responding situation.

Abstract

Dogs trained with a delayed-conditioning avoidance procedure with CS-US intervals of 5, 10 or 20 sec. were compared with similar groups trained in a trace-conditioning procedure. Speed of acquisition was similar, but resistance to extinction was greater in the delayed-conditioning technique. With the trace procedure, the shorter the CS-US interval, the faster the rate of learning, the greater resistance to extinction and the lower the rate of spontaneous jumping; in the delayed procedure these measures were independent of the CS-US interval.