The relationship between shock magnitude and passive avoidance learning |
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| Authors: | John M Pearce |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, University of York, YO1 5DD, Heslington, York, England
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| Abstract: | Three experiments examined the relationship between shock magnitude and the rate of acquisition of a passive avoidance response. Experiment 1 indicated that the use of a relatively large magnitude of shock can disrupt learning to remain on a platform in the center of an open field to avoid shock. The inferior learning of the group trained with high shock was replicated in Experiment 2, which also demonstrated that avoidance learning can occur rapidly with this level of shock if the platform is located in the corner of the apparatus. To explain this, it was proposed that thigmotactic behavior is responsible for the disruption in avoidance behavior when training is conducted in the center with high-magnitude shock. Finally, Experiment 3, essentially a replication of Experiment 1 except that the platform was placed in the corner of the test compartment, demonstrated a direct relationship between shock magnitude and passive avoidance learning. The results are seen as being consistent with accounts which maintain that avoidance learning can be influenced by the occurrence of species-specific defense reactions. |
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