Effect of UCS intensity on the acquisition and extinction of an avoidance response.

Abstract

Forty one female albino rats received 50 trials of acquisition training in a one-way avoidance task with UCS (shock) intensities of 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5 ma, and were subsequently extinguished. The 0.5 ma group made significantly fewer avoidance responses and had longer response latencies in acquisition and on the first extinction trial. The highest shock level produced significantly longer escape latencies on early trials but did not retard avoidance learning. These results are compared with those found using other avoidance tasks.