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CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OF THE GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE IN IMMOBILIZED CATS
Author(s) -
Twyver Henry B.,
King Robert L.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1969.tb02855.x
Subject(s) - conditioning , psychology , skin conductance , classical conditioning , extinction (optical mineralogy) , audiology , conditioned response , reinforcement , cats , developmental psychology , medicine , social psychology , chemistry , statistics , mineralogy , mathematics , biomedical engineering
Ten cats were immobilized with Flaxedil and given either paired conditioning trials or unpaired presentations of the CS and UCS in a study of classical GSR conditioning. The paired group received 5 adaptation trials followed by 40 paired tone‐shock acquisition trials and 10 extinction trials. A pseudo‐conditioning control group received unpaired trials with tone and shock, to control for pseudoconditioning and sensitization. It was found that the group receiving paired conditioning trials responded at a significantly higher magnitude than did control S s, thus demonstrating classical conditioning in this preparation. Electromyograms were recorded for all S s during the experimental sessions to monitor skeletal movements. The level of immobilization was such that no movements were seen in response to the CS. Analysis of the baseline skin resistance data revealed no significant differences which could have contributed to group differences in GSR magnitudes. It is concluded that skeletal movement was not a necessary concomitant of classical conditioning of the GSR.