Studies of Abnormal Behavior in the Rat: XVII. Guidance Versus Trial and Error in the Alteration of Habits and Fixations

"Abnormal fixation" and learning.

“…Two procedures, A and B, were tried for unlearning fixations. Neither involved any guidance (7). Ss were randomly assigned to two groups, A-B and B-A.…”

The Effects of Prefrustration Discrimination Trials on Problem-Solving Behavior

“…O n the other hand the finding of Maier and Klee (12), that 19 of 20 Ss can solve a prefrustration problem, suggests that the use of noxious stimulation is not sufficient to cause fixated behavior. As previously mentioned, one possible explanation of the difference between the Maier and Klee data and those of both the Maier and Ellen ( 9 ) and the present study lies in differences in the types of correct responses in these studies.…”

BMY 21502 and piracetam facilitate performance of two-choice win-stay water-escape in normal rats

“…One, rodents perseverate responses in aversive situations (Mitchell et al, 1984(Mitchell et al, , 1985Sheffield and Temmer, 1950;Solomon etal., 1953). Two, rodents perseverate choices when confronted with an unsolvable task (Maier et al, 1940;Maier and Klee, 1945). Thus, the drugs may have improved performance because they either reduced the aversiveness of the water-escape situation by having a tranquilizing effect or made the task easier (more solvable) by improving working memory.…”