Differential conditional emotional and cardiovascular responses--a training technique for monkeys

Abstract

A training technique has been developed which combines classical differential conditioning and conditional emotional response (CER) procedures. After monkeys were trained to lever-press on a variable-interval schedule, two stimulus lights were presented. One light (CS) was always followed, upon termination, by electrical shock; the other light (DS) was never followed by shock. The response to the CS was a decreased rate of lever-pressing and increased heart rate and blood-flow velocity. None of these responses occurred to the DS. This technique eliminates the possibility of pseudoconditioning and provides measurement of both somatic and autonomic responses in a CER situation.