SIMPLE AND DIFFERENTIAL CONDITIONING IN CURARIZED DOGS AS A FUNCTION OF SHOCK INTENSITY

Abstract

This thesis was concerned with the effects of US intensity (electric shock) upon the development of the conditioned cardiac response, and upon the differential conditioning of this response. Four groups of seven dogs each were trained under four intensities of shock while paralyzed by d-tubocurarine chloride. The results of simple conditioning indicated no significant conditioning in the groups receiving one and two ma. shock. The groups receiving four and eight ma. shock showed significant conditioning, but there was no difference between them. The results of differential conditioning were difficult to interpret. There was no significant difference in degree of discrimination between the two groups which did condition; in view of the failure to obtain conditioning in the one and two ma. groups it was unreasonable to compare them with the other two groups for "degree of discrimination”.