EXTINCTION OF AN AVOIDANCE RESPONSE MOTIVATED BY INTENSE FEAR - SOCIAL FACILITATION OF ACTION OF RESPONSE PREVENTION (FLOODING) IN RATS

Rats were trained to avoid intense electric shock and following learning were given a response-prevention (flooding) treatment. (Response prevention consisted of thwarting the avoidance response while forcing S to remain in the presence of the feared stimulus.) The results confirmed that a brief period of response prevention which has been found effective in hastening the extinction of an avoidance response learned under mild shock motivation was not effective when intense shock was employed. The presence in the apparatus of other, non-fearful rats along with the experimental S during response prevention increased the efficacy of response prevention in producing extinction (social facilitation" effect). Long periods of response prevention with or without social facilitation were also highly effective in eliminating the avoidance response motivated by intense fear. The results supported the view that the occurrence of non-fear behaviour during response prevention was necessary for the treatment to be effective in hastening the extinction of the avoidance response. © 1969."