TASK AND SPECIES GENERALITY OF HELPLESSNESS PHENOMENON

Three groups (N = 9) of male albino mice were given six daily 2-h exposures to escapable, inescapable, orno electric shock. Shock was programmed on a 30-sec-on/30-sec-off alternating schedule. The pole-climbing behavior of an escapable shock S could terminate or prevent shock both for itself and for its yoked inescapable shock pair-member. AUSs then were given, after a 24-h rest, five water-escape trials in which swimming time was measured. The escapable shock S s learned the water-escape task faster than the no shock controlSs. The inescapable shock Ss swam increasingly slower over trials. © 1969, Psychonomic Journals, Inc.. All rights reserved.