Why should termination of the warning signal be more important in learning to shuttle than in one-way avoidance?
A) One-way avoidance is signaled by the researcher removing the animal from the shuttle box.
B) Shuttling requires the animal to approach an area where it has been shocked.
C) Termination of the warning signal is necessary to prevent thigmotaxis from interfering.
D) Shuttling is a flight response.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In shuttle avoidance tasks, animals learn to avoid a shock by moving from one side of a shuttle box to the other when a warning signal is presented. The termination of the warning signal is crucial because it serves as a reinforcement for the animal's successful avoidance behavior, indicating that it has successfully escaped the shock. This is particularly important in shuttle tasks because the animal must make the decision to approach an area where it has previously been shocked, overcoming its natural avoidance of the shock-associated area. This contrasts with one-way avoidance tasks, where the animal simply needs to avoid or escape the shock without the added complexity of approaching a previously shocked area.

Why Should Termination of the Warning Signal Be More Important