SHUTTLE INTERFERENCE EFFECTS IN THE RAT DEPEND UPON ACTIVITY DURING PRIOR SHOCK - REPLICATION

An omission-training procedure involving a passive-escape contingency was used to reduce the amount of movement during shock exhibited by rats below that of yoked controls exposed to a physically identical but inescapable shock. Subsequent tests for interference with two-way, FR 1 escape/avoidance learning revealed only the passive-escape subjects to be impaired relative to previously restrained but nonshocked controls. These findings duplicated the results of an experiment by Anderson et al. and were viewed as indicating that behavior during shock, rather than uncontrollability, is the critical determinant of proactive shock treatment effects. © 1979, The Psychonomic Soceity, Inc.. All rights reserved.