Reflexive Fighting Elicitation by Electric Shock
Objective: To measure reflexive fighting responses elicited between paired rats as a direct reflex reaction to electric shock, and to determine how fighting strength varies as a function of shock intensity, enclosed floor area, and other variables
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment5
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Materials1
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Protocol Steps
Subject pairing and placement
Place two rats together in the enclosed chamber with electrified grid floor. Vary conditions including rat sex, strain, previous familiarity with each other, and number of rats present.
Note: Fighting was consistently elicited regardless of rat sex, strain, previous familiarity, or number present
View evidence from paper
“Under optimal conditions fighting was consistently elicited by shock regardless of the rat's sex, strain, previous familiarity with each other, or the number present during shock.”
Electric shock delivery with polarity scrambling
Deliver electric shock to paired rats through the electrified grid floor. Ensure polarity of the grid is scrambled to produce consistent fighting responses.
Note: Failure to scramble polarity produced inconsistent fighting results
View evidence from paper
“Failure to scramble the polarity of the electrified grid produced inconsistent fighting.”
Vary shock intensity
Test multiple shock intensity levels to determine the relationship between shock intensity and fighting strength. Shock intensity produces a nonmonotonic function with fighting elicitation.
Note: Relationship is nonmonotonic, not linear
View evidence from paper
“Elicitation of fighting was a direct function of the enclosed floor area and a nonmonotonic function of the shock intensity.”
Vary enclosed floor area
Test multiple enclosed floor area sizes to determine the relationship between available space and fighting strength.
Note: Fighting strength is directly proportional to floor area
View evidence from paper
“Elicitation of fighting was a direct function of the enclosed floor area”
Repeated shock presentations
Present electric shock repeatedly to the same paired rats across multiple trials to assess habituation or sensitization effects.
Note: Repeated shock did not produce appreciable decrease in fighting until physical debility appeared
View evidence from paper
“Repeated shock presentations did not produce an appreciable decrease in fighting until signs of physical debility appeared.”
Test alternative aversive stimuli
Compare fighting elicitation using electrode shock, heated floor, intense noise, and cooled floor to determine stimulus specificity.
Note: Only electrode shock and heated floor elicited fighting; noise and cooled floor did not
View evidence from paper
“Electrode shock and a heated floor elicited fighting between the rats, but intense noise and a cooled floor did not.”
Test fighting with inanimate objects
Expose shocked rats to inanimate objects to determine if shock-induced fighting is specific to other animals.
Note: Shock did not cause rats to attack inanimate objects
View evidence from paper
“Although shock did not cause a rat to attack inanimate objects, it did produce attack movements toward other small animals.”
Test cross-species fighting with guinea pigs
Expose paired rats and guinea pigs to electric shock to test whether fighting requires reciprocal attack or defensive behavior from the target animal.
Note: Guinea pigs failed to defend themselves or fight; rats still attacked them
View evidence from paper
“Failure of guinea pigs to defend themselves revealed that the elicitation of fighting from the rat does not require reciprocal attack.”
Test cross-species fighting with hamsters
Expose paired hamsters to electric shock to compare fighting responses across species.
Note: Hamsters showed fighting reactions similar to rats; guinea pigs failed to fight
View evidence from paper
“Paired hamsters showed fighting reactions similar to those of the rats, whereas guinea pigs failed to fight.”