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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [87]-94).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-121).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-44). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-151) and index.

The importance of showing that Drosophila are capable of learning an instrumental response would, with the information already known from genetic studies, enable researchers to possibly isolate the genetic basis of a simple learning process and thus gain greater insight into this phenomenon. If a reliable technique can be found for earning in Drosophila, a new field of research would be opened which could greatly add to our knowledge of the evolution of behavior. The following two studies attempted to demonstrate that Drosophila can learn and also investigated which system, vision or olfaction, serves best in this capacity.

Several studies have shown that the strength of classically conditioned fear varies inversely with the length of the CS-UCS interval (McAllister & McAllister, 1971). If fear conditioning is important in the vicious-circle (VC) phenomenon (Brown, 1969; Melvin, 1971; Mowrer, 1947), then the interstimulus interval between brightness cues (CS) and shock (UCS) may similarly affect VC behavior. Experiment 1 examined effects of brightness cue change on VC responding. Forty male hooded rats were assigned to four groups in a 2 x 2 design, using the presence or absence of shock in the third segment during extinction and the presence or absence of cue change as independent variables. Experiment 2 examined the effects of pre-shock brightness cue changes on VC behavior, and varied the interval between the cue change location and shock. Eighty male hooded rats were assigned to eight groups in a 2 x 4 design, using the presence or absence of shock in the third segment and cue change placement as independent variables. The results indicated that brightness cue changes can reduce VC behavior. Experiment 2 also demonstrated that a cue change in the first alley segment reduced vc·responding as effectively as a total alley cue change. Changing the lower startbox cues was less effective and changing Segment 2 cues had little effect on VC behavior. The results were consistent with the ISI effects found in conditioned-fear research, since there was a relationship between the strength of VC responding and the spatio-temporal interval between changed cues and shock. / Master of Science

Aversive tasks and activities are commonly encountered in the everyday routines of most individuals. For individuals with intellectual disabilities, a means to assess individual sensitivities to aversive stimulation could allow caregivers to avoid unnecessary contact with aversive events, teach appropriate ways to avoid or escape aversive situations, and condition tolerance to unavoidable aversive tasks and activities. The current study, conducted at a large, state-operated residential facility for adults with intellectual disabilities, used an anecdotal assessment, the Sensitivities to Aversive Stimulation Survey (SASS), to evaluate the relative aversiveness of an array of commonly encountered tasks and activities for each participant. Five caregivers complete the 25-question assessment, using Likert-type scales to rate individual participants' affect, compliance or tolerance, and severity of problem behavior related to each item. The mean scores of the raters were used to estimate the aversiveness of each task, condition, or activity. The outcomes from the SASS were then compared with outcomes of an experimental analysis in which participants could emit responses to escape situations that were ranked either high or low using the SASS. Relative aversiveness was evaluated by comparing the percentage of trials with escape behavior and duration of exposure for each stimulus. Preliminary results indicate that the SASS may be useful in identifying aversive tasks and stimuli.

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of anxiety-relief therapy when compared with three other treatment groups (group systematic desensitization; a pseudo-therapy, suggestion, group; and a no-treatment group).

These studies led the experimenter to investigate the use of chemical aversion therapy using anectine as the aversive stimulus with a morphine addict. The success of Thomason and Rathod with heroin addicts suggested that their experimental method would be useful as a reference while designing this study. The treatment hypothesis was that the patient's use of intravenous narcotic drugs would be eliminated through the application of chemical aversion therapy. Chemical aversion therapy was operantly defined as the injection intravenously of anectine into the patient concurrent with his self-injection of his narcotic of choice.