72 rats were run in a 2 X 3 factorial experiment combining 2 conditioning procedures (1-way and shuttle responding) and 3 shock intensities (1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 ma.). Conditioning was much faster with the 1-way procedure than with the shuttle procedure. Rate of conditioning decreased with shock intensity with the shuttle procedure, but not with the 1-way procedure. Escape latencies did not vary systematically with shock intensity. The data indicate that the slower learning rates with high-intensity shock in the shuttle condition are not due to the disruption of the escape response by high-intensity shock. Rather, it appears that with the shuttle procedure the decreased rate of conditioning is primarily due to the fact that high-intensity shock increases the resistance to extinction of a response which is incompatible with the avoidance response. The results of a 2nd experiment indicated that handling of S during the intertrial interval contributed a small amount to the difference between the 1-way and shuttle conditions.
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.