EFFECTS OF A PRE‐AVERSIVE STIMULUS UPON ODDITY PERFORMANCE IN MONKEYS 1

Abstract

Two monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) were trained to perform an oddity discrimination using automatically projected patterned stimuli. After criteria for both response and discrimination stability were met, a tone followed by shock was superimposed upon the ongoing behavior. Each 60‐sec tone was terminated with the onset of a 0.3‐sec, 1 to 1.5‐ma electric shock. During the tone, baseline responding was partially suppressed but discrimination performance was little altered from the pre‐tone period. When shock was raised to 2 to 3 ma, responding was further suppressed, but discrimination performance was again essentially unaltered.