Adrenalectomy eliminates the extinction spike in autoshaping with rats.
Experiment 1, using rats, investigated the effect of adrenalectomy (ADX) on the invigoration of lever-contact performance that occurs in the autoshaping situation after a shift from acquisition to extinction (called the extinction spike). Groups of rats with ADX or sham operations were trained under spaced and massed conditions [average intertrial intervals (ITI) of either 15 or 90 s] for 10 sessions and then shifted to extinction. ADX did not affect acquisition training but it eliminated the extinction spike. Plasma corticosterone levels during acquisition were shown in Experiment 2 to be similar in rats trained under spaced or massed conditions. Adrenal participation in the emotional arousal induced by conditions of surprising nonreward (e.g., extinction) is discussed.
Thomas
B L
BL
Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Papini
M R
MR
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003345:Corticosterone