Abstract
Reflex modification describes the phenomenon in which an elicited reflex is inhibited when a weak stimulus is presented approximately 100 msec prior to the reflex-eliciting event. During habituation procedures, rats were repeatedly exposed to a startle-eliciting noise either with or (in a separate session) without a preceding reflex-inhibiting stimulus and were then tested with the same or the contrasting condition. When tested with a reflex-eliciting stimulus presented alone, rats exposed to reflex modification during habituation procedures exhibited responses of the same amplitude as when they had been exposed to the startle-eliciting stimulus alone from the beginning. Moreover, when contrasting conditions were employed, contrasting results were obtained. The finding that reflex modification and habituation have largely independent effects implies that these effects are probably mediated by separate neural systems.
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This research was supported by National Institute of Health Grant HD 10511.
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Hoffman, H.S., Cohen, M.E. & Corso, C. Reflex modification during habituation of a startle response. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 22, 574–576 (1984). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333912
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333912