Abstract
A group of experiments were conducted to assess the interaction between environmental factors and specific genetic loci upon the performance of mice in avoidance learning situations. The performance of all mice was better in passive-avoidance than in active-avoidance situations. The performance of C57BL/6J mice was generally superior to that of DBA/2J mice. C57BL/6J mice usually avoided foot-shocks, while DBA/2J mice attempted to escape them. DBA/2J mice performed poorly in the presence of mild foot-shocks, while C57-BL/6J mice performed poorly in the presence of intense foot-shocks. Analysis of the data suggested that the loci involved probably exerted their influence by affecting the subject's response to its environment.
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