Abstract
Conflicting reports concerning the success of classical conditioning of heart rate (HR) in curarized animals led to an experiment using a transfer design in which rats were classically conditioned either under curarized or restrained conditions. These conditions were then reversed for each group, giving a Curarized-Restrained (C-R) and a Restrained-Curarized (R-C) group. Results indicated that curare inhibits the conditional and unconditional HR response both during initial acquisition and after asymptotic levels of a HR CR have been attained. In addition, the C-R group did not acquire a CR during their later non-curarized restrained conditioning sessions, implying an inhibitory transfer from their earlier conditioning under curare. The UCRs during this period were normal for restrained rats.
Analogous experimental“setting operations” prior to restrained conditioning were then explored by a second experiment which attempted to replicate the inhibitory transfer effect. The experimental operations investigated included: (1) restrained conditioning to investigate conditioned inhibition possibilities; (2) pseudo-conditioning types of randomized CS and UCS non-paired presentations to investigate associative vs. non-associative explanations; (3) CS-Only presentations to investigate possibilities that curare creates a blockage to the UCS, thus creating an inhibiting habituation to the CS; and (4) a group receiving curarization sessions, but no conditioning, to test the drug-only transfer effects.
Results from the first and second experiments together indicated no inhibitory transfer effects under any prior experimental conditions except for those animals receiving classical conditioning while curarized. Only the CS-O group demonstrated any other kind of significant transfer effect; in this case a positive transfer accelerating later conditioning due to prior CS habituation sessions. These findings were discussed within the context of existing reports of curarized conditioning and setting operation effects on later conditioning, and various potential explanations and interpretations were explored.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black, A. H.: Operant conditioning of heart rate under curare. An invited address given at the meeting of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C., Sept. 1967. Text of this address inTechnical Report No. 12, October, 1967, Department of Psychology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Black, R. W., and Black, P. E.: Heart rate conditioning as a function of interstimulus interval in rats.Psychonom. Sci.,8:219–220, 1967.
DiCara, L. V.: Analysis of arterial blood gases in the curarized, artificially respirated rat.Behav. Research Meth. Instrument.,2:67–69, 1970.
DiCara, L. V., Braun, J. J., and Pappas, B. A.: Classical conditioning and instrumental learning of cardiac and gastrointestinal responses following removal of neo-cortex in the rat.J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol.,73:208–216, 1970.
Fitzgerald, R. D., Vardaris, R. M., and Brown, J. S.: Classical conditioning of heart-rate deceleration in the rat with continuous and partial reinforcement.Psychonom. Sci.,6:437–438, 1966.
Guyton, A. C., and Reeder, R. C.: Quantitative studies on the autonomic actions of curare.J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 98:188–193, 1950.
Hahn, W. W., and Rinaldi, P.: The effects of curare on orienting and unconditional heart rate responses. MS in preparation, 1971.
Hahn, W. W., and Slaughter, J. S.: Heart rate responses in the curarized rat.Psychophysiology,7:429–435, 1971.
Hahn, W. W., Slaughter, J. S., and Rinaldi, P.: Soma methodological difficulties in obtaining heart rate in the curarized rat. Paper presented at the meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1969.
Holdstock, T., and Schwartzbaum, J.: Classical conditioning of heart rate and GSR in the rat.Psychophysiobgy,2:25–38, 1965.
Hothersal, D., and Brener, J.: Operant conditioning of changes in heart rate in curarized rats.J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol.,68:338–342, 1969.
Howard, J. L.: Personal communication, 1971.
Kimmel, H. D.: Essential events in the acquisition of classical conditioning.Cond. Reflex,5:156–164, 1970.
Koelle, G. B.: Neuromuscular blocking agents. In I. S. Goodman and A. Gillman, Eds.:Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics New York, Mc-Millan, 1965.
Lubow, R. E., and Moore, A. U.: Latent inhibition: the effect of nonreinforced pre-exposure to the conditioned stimulus.J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol.,52:415–419, 1959.
Maier, S. F., Seligman, M. E. P., and Solomon, R. L.: Pavlovian fear conditioning and learned helplessness: effects on escape and avoidance behavior of (a) the CS-US contingency and (b) the independence of the US and voluntary responding. In B. A. Campbell and R. M. Church, Eds.:Punishment and Aversive Behavior. New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1969.
Miller, N. E., Learning of visceral and glandular responses.Science,163:434–445, 1969.
Newton, J. E. O., and Perez-Cruet, J.: Successive-beat analysis of cardiovascular orienting and conditional responses.Cond. Reflex,2:37, 1967.
Ray, R. D.: Use of the conditional reflex to assess the temporal characteristics of curarization effects on heart rate responding.Cond. Reflex,7:19–32 1972 (a).
Ray, R. D.: Instrumental reinforcement and classical conditioned inhibition of the heart rate. MS in preparation, 1972 (b).
Teyler, T. J.: Effects of restraint on heart rate conditioning in rats as a function of US location.J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol,77:31–37, 1971.
Winer, B. J.:Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. New York, Mc-Graw-Hill, 1962.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ray, R.D., Brener, J. Classical heart-rate conditioning in the rat: The influence of curare and various setting operations. Conditional Reflex 8, 224–235 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000678
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000678