Effects of Duration and Delay of Shock on Self-Punitive Behavior in the Rat

Abstract

Rats were given shock-escape training in a 4-ft. runway, then divided into 4 groups of 9 Ss each. During extinction, shock was present in the 4-ft. alley, the first 1-ft. segment, or the last 1-ft. segment for 3 groups, but was never present in the start box. A control group received no shock. In general, punished Ss ran faster and longer than non-shocked Ss. The more immediate the punishment, the more vigorous and sustained was the punished act. The immediate 1-ft. shock led to very high resistance to extinction, indicating that an intermediate shock duration may yield optimal facilitation.