Abstract
Male hooded rats were compared with non-estrus females in acquisition and extinction of an avoidance response. No differential extinction rates were found between these groups although terminal performance differences were present in acquisition. Females, which during acquisition were not in estrus, were divided into estrus and non-estrus groups in extinction. No differences were significant during early trials, but both performance and rate changes were noted thereafter, the non-estrus Ss being superior to estrus Ss on both measures. Results are discussed in terms of the influence of the estrus variable on male-female comparative studies.
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Portions of this research were supported by a universitv faculty grant made to R. C. Trost.
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Ikard, W.L., Bennett, W.C., Lundin, R.W. et al. Acquisition and Extinction of the Conditioned Avoidance Response: a Comparison Between Male Rats and Estrus and Non-Estrus Female Rats. Psychol Rec 22, 249–254 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394088
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394088