ON INDEPENDENCE OF STIMULUS CONTROL OF AVOIDANCE

An instrumental avoidance response was trained to a visual signal (SD). Then 5 mongrel dogs were restricted so that avoidance responses could not occur, and were given discriminative fear conditioning with 2 tones (CS+ and CS-) intermixed with unreinforced presentations of the SD (fear extinction). Later, while unrestricted, Ss received avoidance test trials to all 3 stimuli. Neither the visual SD nor the CS- elicited avoidance responses. The CS+, however, reliably elicited the avoidance response originally elaborated to the SD. The transfer to CS+ of control of avoidance responding was independent of continued responding to the original avoidance training stimulus. This provides strong support for 2-process mediational principles, and the independence and separability of conditioning and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.