Species-specific behavior and acquisition of avoidance behavior in rats.

Abstract

Three experiments are reported. Experiment 1 indicated that the rat becomes more thigmotactie and immobile following shock compared with noshock conditions. Experiment 2 demonstrated that when two groups of subjects were required to make comparable, but different, avoidance responses, the group whose avoidance response was more closely related to the subjects' species-specific defensive behavior was acquired at a faster rate. The last experiment indicated that the differences in the acquisition of the avoidance responses in Experiment 2 were not due to differences in operant rates for the two responses per se, since acquisition of these same two responses was similar under appetitive motivation.

Previous Exposure to THC Alters the Reinforcing Efficacy and Anxiety-Related Effects of Cocaine in Rats

“…Second, a history of THC exposure significantly decreased the number of entries into the center of the field when rats were given cocaine, an effect that suggests enhanced anxiety. Similar decreases in center-zone activity have been demonstrated in the open field with rats given anxiogenic drugs (Prut and Belzung, 2003) or electric shock (Grossen and Kelley, 1972) immediately before the test. The possibility that a history of THC exposure increases sensitivity to the anxiogenic effects of cocaine was further supported by the results obtained with the light-dark test, a procedure that has been well-validated as being sensitive to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects of drugs (Costall et al, 1989a;Hascoët and Bourin, 1998;Onaivi and Martin, 1989;Pich and Samanin, 1989).…”

Two-factor theory, the actor--critic model, and conditioned avoidance

“…In the model, all responses are treated equally. In animals, however, avoidance responses that are closer to species-specific defense reactions (SSDRs) are learned faster than arbitrary responses (Bolles, 1969(Bolles, , 1970Grossen & Kelley, 1972). These findings initially led to the suggestion that reinforcement may not play any role in the establishment of avoidance responses (Bolles, 1970), but subsequent findings confirmed a role for reinforcement in avoidance (Crawford & Masterson, 1978, 1982.…”

Conditioned freezing in the rat as a function of shock intensity and CS modality

“…It is one component of a system of defense reactions used by the rat in dangerous situations (Bolles, 1975(Bolles, , 1978Bolles & Fanselow, in press). Several studies demonstrate that the selection of a specific behavior from within this system depends on appropriate stimulus support for the behavior from the environment (Blanchard & Blanchard, 1970a, 1970bBlanchard, Fukunaga , & Blanchard, 1976a, 1976bBolles & Collier, 1976 ;Grossen & Kelley, 1972 ;Pinel & Treit, 1979). Although these studies indicate that the rat may be capable of a variety of defensive behaviors, aversive conditioning studies frequently take place in a small, barren chamber that provides little stimulus support for much of the animal's defense repertory.…”