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Effects of age and genotype on acquisition of an active avoidance response in mice
Author(s) -
Stavnes Karen,
Sprott Richard L.
Publication year - 1975
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.420080508
Subject(s) - psychology , avoidance response , avoidance learning , developmental psychology , inbred strain , c57bl/6 , medicine , endocrinology , biology , neuroscience , genetics , gene
Two experiments were conducted in which inbred C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice were trained in an active avoidance jump‐up task under distributed practice conditions at a variety of ages comprising a large part of their life‐span. DBA/2J mice were found to be basically an escaping strain and exhibited little change in behavior as a function of age. C57BL/6J mice developed consistent avoidance behavior when training was initiated at 31–36 days of age. Avoidance behavior appeared to reach a peak in the 45–day‐old group and progressively decreased in 145‐ and 560‐day‐old groups. Increased footshock intensity in old DBA/2J mice enhanced escape responding without increasing avoidance responding. Increased footshock intensity in old C57BL/6J mice enhanced avoidance responding.