Abstract
Twelve rats were trained under a free operant avoidance schedule. Then a signal S1) followed by a shock (US) was superimposed on avoidance behavior. Later, a second signal (S2) was interposed between S1 and US. The rats were divided into two groups and, in addition to S1-S2-US, received either S1 or S2 singly. Finally, the S1-S2 sequence was given without US. Suppression of avoidance developed under the S1-US procedure, but when S1 was separated from US by S2, suppression gave way to enhancement in avoidance during S1. Moreover, when S2 was presented independently of the S1-S2-US sequence, the suppression of avoidance diminished during S2, although differential avoidance behavior during the sequences was unaffected. Finally, when S1–S2 was presented without US, suppressed avoidance during S2 disappeared, while avoidance enhancement during S1 was maintained. The results were interpreted in terms of the necessity of the CS being a reliable predictor of an imminent US for the maintenance of conditioned avoidance suppression.
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Roberts, A.E., Hurwitz, H.M.B. The conditioned suppression and enhancement of avoidance during a serial compound CS. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 14, 7–10 (1979). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329384
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329384