In an Experiment, a Rat Was Placed on a Small

question 69

Multiple Choice

In an experiment, a rat was placed on a small platform. When this rat stepped down to the floor, it received a painful electric shock. After one shock, this rat would not step down to the floor when placed on the platform. A second rat also stepped down to the floor from the platform and received a painful shock but was immediately administered an electroconvulsive shock (ECS) to its brain. How did the ECS affect this second rat's behavior?

• A)The second rat, like the first, would never step down to the floor out of fear of the painful shock.
• B)The second rat actually sought out the painful shock because the ECS caused an endorphin "rush" that resulted in the rat becoming addicted to the pain.
• C)The second rat stepped down over and over again because the ECS wiped out the memories of the painful shock by interrupting consolidation.
• D)The second rat did not show fear of the shock from touching the floor but did show fear when the researcher attempted to administer the ECS again.

---

Definitions:

Tricyclics

A class of antidepressant medications used to treat depressive disorders by affecting neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

Neurochemistry

The study of chemicals, including neurotransmitters and other molecules, that control and influence the nervous system.

Schizophrenics

People suffering from schizophrenia experience disruptions in their thinking, sensory perceptions, and actions, which identifies it as a mental health condition.

Incontinence

The lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation, leading to unintended loss of urine or feces.