Differential Effects of Fear on Activity in Novel and Familiar Environments

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Abstract
The locomotor activity of mice was observed in an open field which was either novel or had been explored for 20 min. Immediately before entry into the open field, groups of Ss were given either 0, 4, or 12 shocks in an adjoining compartment. Ss given either 4 or 12 shocks showed a suppression of activity relative to the performance of nonshocked control Ss, suppression being more marked in the familiar than in the novel environment. Within the novel environment shocked Ss were less active than nonshocked Ss near the shock compartment but slightly more active in far areas. In the familiar environment, by contrast, suppression of activity among shocked Ss was manifested in all areas of the open field. It was concluded that activity by fearful animals is influenced by their familiarity with the environment in which the activity occurs and that this relationship can be understood in terms of the adaptive consequences of such behavior in the history of the animal.

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