Modulation of aversively motivated learning in rats adapted to a cold stressor.
Two experiments studied effects of adaptation to cold water stress upon learning in two aversively motivated (shock) tasks. Experiment 1 found animals previously experiencing cold water stress exhibited more tolerance to shock, having shorter latencies, in an approach-avoidance conflict situation than non-treated controls. In Experiment 2, animals with previous cold water stress experience exhibited longer response latencies than controls in an active-avoidance task. These findings provide evidence that adaptation to a noncontingent stressor can modulate behavioral responses which suggest increased tolerance.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004597:Electroshock; D008297:Male; D011678:Punishment; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000523:psychology*; D014163:Transfer, Psychology