LEARNING OF A HURDLE-JUMP RESPONSE TO ESCAPE CUES PAIRED WITH REDUCED REWARD OR FRUSTRATIVE NONREWARD

Following 60 runway acquisition trials (6/day) to 15 pellets, 128 male hooded rats were shifted either to 1 or 0 pellets for 18 trials (6/day) and received, on these trials, a light (CS) or no light (NCS) in the goal box. All Ss were then given hurdle-jump training to escape the cues paired with the lower reward. All groups showed increases in hurdle-jump speed over trials to levels above control groups, who received 1 or 0 pellets throughout the experiment. Groups shifted to 0 pellets jumped faster than groups shifted to 1 pellet, and CS groups jumped faster than NCS groups. Results indicated that shifts in reward both to zero and near zero levels produce frustration which can serve as the basis for the learning of a new response. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.