Two experiments were undertaken to appraise the gerbil for behavioral research. In a study of exploratory behavior ( n = 15), it was found that size of test area was a factor influencing exploration. In a second study, it was found that gerbils ( n = 9) surpass rats in acquisition of a discriminated avoidance response in the Skinner box.
One year after exposure to intense electric shock, rats were punished with shocks of lesser intensity. The previous exposure increased the suppressive effects of the punishment during both the initial encounter with punishment and over the course of a 7-day test period. Rats that had not been previously exposed to shock recovered during continued shock punishment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.