Abstract
The heart-rate responses of male hooded rats to the novel offsets or onsets of a low-intensity white noise were measured. Basal resistance levels of the Ss were monitored concurrently with the heart rate in order to assess whether the intensity of stimulus used was stressful to the animals. No change in the basal resistance levels was found over the trial, suggesting that the noise level was not stressful. A brief deceleration of heart rate was found as a response to both types of test stimulus. These findings are consistent with the view that the heart-rate acceleration in response to a novel auditory stimulus reported by some earlier workers was probably produced by a defense reflex, which in turn was triggered by the higher intensity of stimulus used in these experiments.
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I would like to thank N. Freeman, Psychology Department, Bristol University, for his critical reading of this manuscript, and R. Wootton, Zoology Department, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, for statistical advice.
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Inglis, I.R. Heart rate responses of the hooded rat to low intensity white noise onset and offset. Psychobiology 2, 310–312 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333027
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333027