Behavioral factors in habituation of acoustic startle reactions.

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Abstract
Used special equipment to assess the abrupt movement characterizing 7 naive male Wistar rat's startle reaction to sudden acoustic input. Ss were trained to press a lever for food. Acoustic startle stimuli then were presented under 2 conditions: (1) when S pressed the lever, and (2) in the interval between lever presses. Startle amplitude gradually decreased under both conditions, but reactions again increased when food reinforcement was withheld. Results suggest that habituation of acoustical startle reflects, in part, declines in the emotional state of S. It is implied that the observed habituation was not produced by S's locating a less intense portion of the acoustic field. Nor was habituation produced by S's adopting a protective postural set. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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