The effect of qualitative differences in audio stimuli and backgrounds in instrumental escape conditioning

Abstract

Escape conditioning to 2 audio stimuli (buzzer or white noise) was investigated in a running wheel under 2 audio background conditions (buzzer or white noise). Audio aversiveness was found to be dependent not upon a particular stimulus or background but on a specific relation between the two. That is, while a buzzer stimulus out of a white-noise background produced a high level of escape responding, neither the converse situation or either white noise out of white noise or buzzer out of buzzer conditions produced escape behavior. The implications of these data for a broader explanation of audio aversiveness are discussed. © 1967, Psychonomic Press. All rights reserved.