Abstract
A film analysis of fighting and nonfighting episodes in a shock-elicited fighting task indicated an almost total absence of behaviors typical of the attack pattern of dominant colony rats on intruders. The most frequent “fighting” response seen was striking, a forelimb movement oriented toward the opponent. However, forelimb movements identical except for the lack of such orientation occurred during nonfighting shock episodes. “Strikes” occurred primarily when shock was given to animals in a defensive boxing posture with forelimbs extended: Otherwise, nonoriented forelimb movements occurred. Similarly, “kicking” and nonfighting hindlimb movements were indistinguishable except for orientation. Bites and wounds made were similar to those of colony rats under conspecific attack and not to those made by attacking dominant colony males. These analyses support the notion that the shock-elicited fighting task consists primarily of a defensive behavior pattern combined with reflexive fore- and hindlimb jerks to electric footshock.
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This research was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant 29163 to the second author.
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Takahashi, L.K., Blanchard, R.J. Shock and defensive fighting in the rat. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 12, 211–213 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329673
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329673