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Escape learning: Acquisition and extinction rates as a function of age in rats
Author(s) -
Egger Garry J.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420070313
Subject(s) - extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , developmental psychology , audiology , biology , medicine , paleontology
An asymptotic measure of acquisition incorporating both escape latencies and competing responses (180° turns away from the goal box) was used to compare escape learning over ages in rats. Rats aged 24, 50, and 100 days did not differ in the number of trials required to reach acquisition as determined by this criterion. However, the youngest group required significantly more trials than either of the older groups to extinguish responding in this situation. They also performed significantly more competing responses than the older group in the early stages of acquisition.