Abstract
Eyelid responses in the rat were recorded as electromyographic activity (EMG) or as movements detected by a photoelectric technique. Spontaneous blinks, startle responses to acoustic stimuli, unconditioned responses to air puffs, and conditioned responses based on the corneal reflex were recorded under a variety of conditions. Special attention was given to topographical and temporal characteristics of the responses. Some relationships between the EMG and eyelid movements are described, as well as changes in eyelid responses related to habituation, conditioning, and various stimulus manipulations, In addition to the substantive findings, the study suggests that the rat may yet become a useful S in the study of eyelid conditioning.
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This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant 5 PO1 GM14940-06. The author is grateful for the assitance of Margaret Chartres, Judith Schemmel, William Kelley, and Dennis Callahan. Preliminary reports of the work were presented in the Quarterly Progress Report of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, No. 101, 1971, and at the meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, 1971.
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Hall, R.D. Some properties of conditioned and unconditioned eyelid reflexes in the albino rat. Behav. Res. Meth. & Instru. 5, 321–331 (1973). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200199
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200199