Activity-level contingent shock and later shuttlebox avoidance learning

Stewart, Daniel (1972) Activity-level contingent shock and later shuttlebox avoidance learning. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (3MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

Prior to shuttlebox avoidance training rats were exposed to 30 trials of a punishment situation in which shock was contingent on activity level. The period during which contingencies were effective on each pretraining trial was divided into two halves. During each half one of three treatments was administered (a) an inactivity-shock contingency (IS), (b) a no shock condition (NO), (c) an activity-shock contingency (AS), Nine experimental groups were formed from the factorial combination of the three treatments possible during the first half of pretraining with the three possible during the second half. After pretraining all subjects were immediately run 100 trials in a shuttlebox avoidance task. -- Results indicated that subjects receiving the IS treatment during the first half of the pretraining interval performed better in avoidance training then those receiving the NO treatment which, in tum, performed better than those receiving the AS treatment. The treatment administered during the second half of the pretraining interval did not significantly affect later avoidance performance. Results also indicated that amount of movement during pretraining was positively related to level of later avoidance performance. -- These results were interpreted as support for the hypothesis that in the early stages of avoidance training activity increases and an avoidance response becomes more probable through the action of the inactivity-shock contingency inherent to the avoidance task.

Actions (login required)

View Item