Habituation of startle response under incremental sequence of stimulus intensities.

Abstract

Exp. I, with 72 male albino rats, 350 exposures to tones, which gradually increased 85-115 db. in 5-db steps, produced as much habituation of the startle response in rats to subsequent 120-db tones as did 350 exposures to the 120-db tone itself. In Exp. II, with 48 Ss, 2750 exposures to tones, which gradually increased 83-118 db. in 2.5-db steps, produced much greater habituation to subsequent 120-db tones than did 750 exposures to (1) 120-db tones, (2) 100-db tones, or (3) tones ranging 83-118 db. but presented in a random order. Results are discussed in relation to learning studies that have employed gradual stimulus sequences and to theories of habituation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)