Acclimatization, habituation, motivation, and cold exposure.

Abstract

A group of rats were acclimated to a cold environment and trained on a shock-escape response; 5 other groups, acclimated to a normal temperature, were trained at this temperature for varying numbers of days and then trained further in the cold. The cold-acclimated rats showed the greatest response speed and metabolic rate. Response speed after change to the cold environment relative to prechange strength was inversely related to the amount of practice in the original environment. The results are felt to support "a concept of arousal level or generalized drive strength . . . [with] metabolic rate as an underlying factor." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)