Abstract
Three rats were systematically observed in an avoidance apparatus prior to avoidance acquisition, during response prevention (flooding) following acquisition, and again following extinction. The apparatus was a modified, automated ledge box (“Baum box”) which yields one-way active avoidance. Up to seven different spontaneous behaviors were recorded. Observations were related to various analyses of the effects of response prevention, stressing the importance of observing the spontaneous behavior of subjects at all times. The data of individual rats varied greatly, suggesting that means previously reported for a group of rats might be misleading.