Response vs. Stimulus Fixation in the Shocked Rat
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13660205 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shinkuro Iwahara (Nara Women's University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1962 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 41-42 |
| Publication date | 1962-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychological Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2466/pr0.1962.10.1.41 |
| OpenAlex | W2025134760 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 5 |
Fowler, eb al. (1959) have shown thac the rat repeats stimuli rather than responses when it is forced by electric shock to run from one stem of a crossmaze wich the other stem blocked after it has been given six trials from the latter scem. The results contradict our study in which response fixation is emphasized (Iwahara, 1960b). However, close examination of their study reveals a few points of weakness. First, their conclusion is based on the one-tailed test. If the more adequate two-tailed test is employed, the result becomes inconclusive. Second, their Group I which received electric shock of threshold value did not show any obvious change when the starting scem was reversed. This is contrary to previous studies which have shown that non-reinforced rats repeat responses and alternate stimuli (Glanzer, 1953; Walker, et al., 1955). It seemed necessary to duplicate the Fowler, et aL. experiment. Ninety-six white rats (48 males, 48 females) were divided into four groups of 24 Ss each. They were all given 12 shocked (100 FA, AC) trials in a grey T maze. The first two trials were free but the remaining 10 were forced to either side in such a way thac S had equal experience on both sides (50% response alternation). After two days, S was given 12 free-choice trials in an endosed cross-maze wich one stem blocked to form a T maze. A 5-min. intertrial interval was used. The stems were painted gray, but one side of the arms and the connecting goal-box were black, while those on the other side were wh~te The floor was a grid except in the goal boxes where it was wooden. Sheets of painted paper (gray, black, white, corresponding to the rest of the parts) were placed onder the grid. S could escape electric shock (200 PA, AC) by running into either goal-box. For Group I, the starting stem was alternated on every other trial, while for Groups I1 through IV, it was not changed until the third, sixth, and tenth trials, respectively, and the rest of the trials were started from the opposing stem. The results indicate that Group I repeated responses 55.3% on Trial 2, and the percentage of repeticion of the immediately preceding responses increased rapidly to the order of 80 to 90% within a few trials. As a whole, Group I repeated responses significantly more often than srimuli (P < .002; by two-tailed binomial test). This is contradictory co the Fowler, et al. results. In addition, the present ficding that response repetition tends to increase with trials, confirms our response interpretation. The mean percentage of response repetition on Trial 2 was 72.2% when Groups I1 through IV were pooled. However, this is also the percentage of stimulus repetition since the starting stem was not changed on these trials. The two kinds of repetitions can be differentiated on the trials when the scem was first reversed. The response repetition on these critical trials was 66.7% for
Audiology · Cognitive psychology · Stimulus (psychology · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Medicine · Memory and Neural Mechanisms · Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research · Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.02 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1968 - 1968 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |