Avoidance response evocation as a function of prior discriminative fear conditioning under curare.

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Abstract
Naive dogs, given discriminative Pavlovian fear conditioning while immobilized by d-tubo-curarine, were subsequently trained in an instrumental shock-avoidance habit in a new situation. After reaching a criterion, they were presented with the discriminative CSs in the avoidance environment during extinction. All Ss showed immediate and persistent discriminative transfer, responding more quickly and reliably to the Pavlovian CS (conditioned stimulus) that had been reinforced than to the CS that had been nonreinforced. Results were consistent over a wide range of parametric conditions and with predictions from 2-process theories of avoidance behavior, and they weigh against theories that emphasize the role of specific skeletal-motor R-S sequences, and their feedback, in the control of avoidance behavior.

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