PREFERENCE FOR SHOCK SIGNALS AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPORAL ACCURACY OF SIGNALS

Groups of rats (3) were exposed to pairs of 3 different contingencies on 2 sides of a shuttlebox. One signaled contingency provided 10 min danger and safety cues plus an additional 10 s cue immediately preceeding shock (P-S) [paired shock] another signaled contingency provided 10 min danger and safety cues but random 10 s cues with respect to shock (R-S) [random shock], and an unsignaled contingency provided no safety period, but only a 20 min danger period during which shock could occur (NS) [no shock]. Signaled P-S and R-S contingencies were preferred in a choice test to the unsignaled NS contingency, and P-S was preferred to R-S. Independent tests of the fear-eliciting properties of the cues made in an off-baseline test of suppression of ongoing exploration indicated more freezing (fear) to the 10 s cue in rats experiencing the P-S contingency. The results were interpreted as indicating a preference for cues providing more precise information about the temporal location of shock even when those cues were fear-eliciting.