Effects of Metrazol,Carbon Disulfide,and Auditory Stimulation on an Extinguished Conditioned Response in Rats

Abstract

Rats (N=80) were taught a conditioned avoidance response of the Miller type and were subsequently extinguished by lack of reinforcement. Following habit extinction selected animals were subjected to carbon disulfide inhalation, metrazol injection, or exposure to high frequency sound, and replaced in the modified Miller box. It was found that all agents used were effective in reinstating the extinguished response, but that the form of the recovered habit differed depending on the agent used to elicit recovery. It was suggested that the methodology employed in the study might prove useful in throwing light on bio-mechanisms involved in the acquisition of different types of habit.