Avoidance conditioning of the GSR.

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Abstract
Two groups of 16 Ss received 16 paired presentations of a 1-sec. 1, 000-cps CS (conditioned stimulus) followed by a. 1-sec. shock UCS (unconditioned stimulus), 4 sec. after CS offset. The trials were 30 sec. apart on the average. In the experimental group shock was omitted, except on the first conditioning trial, if S made a GSR (galvanic skin response), during the last 4 sec. of the CS-UCS interval, that was equal to or larger than the smallest GSR made by him in a preliminary CS-only series. In the Control group, the members of which were matched to those of the Experimental group in trial-by-trial pattern of stimulation, shocks were omitted on trials on which the Experimental S had not received them. Shock omission was contingent upon S''s response only in the Experimental group. Average GSR magnitude during conditioning increased significantly for both groups and the Experimental group was significantly higher than the Control group. The results were interpreted to mean that avoidance conditioning of the GSR is possible.

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