Abstract
Rats, 5–11 days old, showed improved, performance over trials on a shock-escape task, as indicated by a decrease in competing responses. While rate of improvement did not differ at these ages, the number of competing responses did, being indirectly related to age. This finding plus the observation that Ss exhibited a definite direction preference suggest that the recorded response may be an inborn reaction to aversive stimulation. In contrast to competing responses, speed on trials without competing responses remained constant during training, suggesting that Ss move at an asymptotic speed for their level of maturation and a fixed level of motivation.
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References
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This research was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant MH-16316 from the National Institute of Mental Health and in part by National Science Foundation Grant GB8582.
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Misanin, J.R., Nagy, Z.M. & Weiss, E.M. Escape behavior in neonatal rats. Psychon Sci 18, 191–192 (1970). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332370
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332370