Brief light as a practical aversive stimulus for the albino rat

David J. Barker; Federico Sanabria; Anne Lasswell; Eric A. Thrailkill; Anthony P. Pawlak; Peter R. Killeen

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2010.06.020

Brief light as a practical aversive stimulus for the albino rat

David J. Barker, Federico Sanabria, Anne Lasswell, Eric A. Thrailkill, Anthony P. Pawlak, Peter R. Killeen

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Bright light was an effective aversive stimulus for Wistar rats in punishment, escape, and avoidance paradigms. Contingent punishment of lever pressing maintained by concurrent schedules of food delivery shifted presses to an alternate lever, and depressed overall response rates. Periodic non-contingent presentation of the light prompted escape responding (head entry into a hole). Unsignaled avoidance contingencies were not effective, but pre-pulse signaling of light supported avoidance behavior. These results demonstrate a possible alternative to foot-shock, one with greater ecological validity, and one that might avoid some of the physiological effects that accompany electric shock.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	402-408
Number of pages	7
Journal	Behavioural Brain Research
Volume	214
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2010.06.020
State	Published - Dec 2010

Keywords

Avoidance
Burrow
Escape
Light aversion
Punishment
Rat

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Behavioral Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.bbr.2010.06.020

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title = "Brief light as a practical aversive stimulus for the albino rat",

abstract = "Bright light was an effective aversive stimulus for Wistar rats in punishment, escape, and avoidance paradigms. Contingent punishment of lever pressing maintained by concurrent schedules of food delivery shifted presses to an alternate lever, and depressed overall response rates. Periodic non-contingent presentation of the light prompted escape responding (head entry into a hole). Unsignaled avoidance contingencies were not effective, but pre-pulse signaling of light supported avoidance behavior. These results demonstrate a possible alternative to foot-shock, one with greater ecological validity, and one that might avoid some of the physiological effects that accompany electric shock.",

keywords = "Avoidance, Burrow, Escape, Light aversion, Punishment, Rat",

author = "Barker, {David J.} and Federico Sanabria and Anne Lasswell and Thrailkill, {Eric A.} and Pawlak, {Anthony P.} and Killeen, {Peter R.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by NIDA-R01 DA006886 to Mark West (David J. Barker), Arizona State University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Federico Sanabria), and NIMH-R01MH066860 (Peter Killeen). We thank Natalie Cole, Liliana Oldenburg, and Lara Olson for data collection.",

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language = "English (US)",

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AU - Sanabria, Federico

AU - Lasswell, Anne

AU - Thrailkill, Eric A.

AU - Pawlak, Anthony P.

AU - Killeen, Peter R.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by NIDA-R01 DA006886 to Mark West (David J. Barker), Arizona State University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Federico Sanabria), and NIMH-R01MH066860 (Peter Killeen). We thank Natalie Cole, Liliana Oldenburg, and Lara Olson for data collection.

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N2 - Bright light was an effective aversive stimulus for Wistar rats in punishment, escape, and avoidance paradigms. Contingent punishment of lever pressing maintained by concurrent schedules of food delivery shifted presses to an alternate lever, and depressed overall response rates. Periodic non-contingent presentation of the light prompted escape responding (head entry into a hole). Unsignaled avoidance contingencies were not effective, but pre-pulse signaling of light supported avoidance behavior. These results demonstrate a possible alternative to foot-shock, one with greater ecological validity, and one that might avoid some of the physiological effects that accompany electric shock.

AB - Bright light was an effective aversive stimulus for Wistar rats in punishment, escape, and avoidance paradigms. Contingent punishment of lever pressing maintained by concurrent schedules of food delivery shifted presses to an alternate lever, and depressed overall response rates. Periodic non-contingent presentation of the light prompted escape responding (head entry into a hole). Unsignaled avoidance contingencies were not effective, but pre-pulse signaling of light supported avoidance behavior. These results demonstrate a possible alternative to foot-shock, one with greater ecological validity, and one that might avoid some of the physiological effects that accompany electric shock.

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KW - Escape

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KW - Punishment

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Brief light as a practical aversive stimulus for the albino rat

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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