The Effects of Sex and Exposure to Inescapable Shock on Shock-Elicited Fighting in Albino Rats

A 2 by 2 factorial design was employed to investigate the effects of exposure to inescapable shock vs. no shock on the subsequent shock-elicited fighting behavior of male and female rats. Results indicated that males fought reliably more than females in response to brief test shocks. Also, prior exposure to inescapable shock was observed to reduce markedly the degree of shock-elicited fighting for both male and female rats during initial test sessions. In addition, measurements of responsivity to shock were observed to decrease for shock-treated subjects as a function of continued exposure to inescapable shock during the shock-treatment phase. Taken together, these findings indicate that although sex can be a powerful determinant of degree of shock-elicited fighting in albino rats, the debilitating effect of exposures to inescapable shock does not depend upon this factor. Furthermore, the observations of behavior during shock treatment itself tentatively suggest that the marked reduction in fighting produced by this variable may be due, in part, to a behavioral change accompanying exposure to inescapable shock.