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Punishment of Adjusting Avoidance Without Exteroceptive Discriminative Stimuli

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Abstract

Rats were trained to respond to avoid a brief electric shock on a schedule of adjusting avoidance. After a stable baseline was established, differential response-contingent shock was superimposed onto the schedule. Although response rates and shock density remained unchanged, rats were able to avoid the punishment shocks. This finding contradicts previous work on the ability of rats to discriminate their position in a schedule of adjusting avoidance.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The American University, 321 Asbury Building, Washington, D.C., 20016, USA

    Bruce E. Hamilton

  2. Western Michigan University, USA

    Arthur G. Snapper

Authors
  1. Bruce E. Hamilton
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  2. Arthur G. Snapper
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Additional information

This research was supported by Research Scientist Development Award No. K2-MB-70483 to Arthur G. Snapper from NIMH. Publication costs were paid in part by The Office of Program and Research Development, The American University. The authors wish to thank Dr. Alan Silberberg for his help and comments during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Hamilton, B.E., Snapper, A.G. Punishment of Adjusting Avoidance Without Exteroceptive Discriminative Stimuli. Psychol Rec 25, 499–507 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394342

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394342

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