Counterconditioning and fear reduction in the rat

Abstract

Three groups of rats were conditioned to escape shock in a two-compartment Miller box. One group was then confined in the shock compartment with food, the second confined without food, and the third not confined at all Confinement with food was significantly more effective in reducing fear than confinement without food or no confinement, as measured by latency of escape from the shock compartment during extinction trials. However, both confinement with food and confinement without food were equally effective in reducing fear as measured by avoidance of the shock compartment during postconditioning preference trials. © 1969, Psychonomic Journals, Inc.. All rights reserved.