Fear conditioning by-proxy: social transmission of fear during memory retrieval.
After fear conditioning (e.g., by pairing a tone to a shock), memory retrieval typically leads to fear expression (e.g., freezing to the tone). Here, we examined the effect of a conditioned rat's fear memory retrieval on a naïve cage-mate's behavior to the conditioned stimulus. We show that rats exposed to a novel tone in the presence of a cage-mate previously conditioned to that same tone selectively showed increased freezing to the stimulus the next day (fear conditioning by-proxy). In addition, fear conditioning by-proxy experienced prior to pairing the tone to a mild shock increased freezing during presentation of that tone the next day. Our results suggest that, during memory retrieval, fear of a stimulus can be socially transmitted to a cage-mate. These findings may have implications for models of phobias.
Bruchey
Aleksandra K
AK
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Jones
Carolyn E
CE
Monfils
Marie-H
MH
D000818:Animals; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012919:Social Behavior