Thesis (S.T.M.)--Trinity Lutheran Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-180).

When a human or animal is threatened or confronted with a stimuli signalling danger, internal defence mechanisms are activated that evoke feelings of fear and anxiety. These emotional responses promote the behaviour patterns necessary for an organism's survival. Animal research seeks to understand how these emotions affect behaviour both physiologically and neurologically in order to develop effective treatment for those suffering from severe anxiety disorders. The aim of this thesis was to examine the role of the amygdala, and dorsal and ventral hippocampus in relation to immediate fear arousal brought on by footshock. This was assessed by examining whether muscimol would interfere with the acoustic startle response before or after footshock presentation, and then comparing these reactions to a control group that received saline infusions. The results of this research are extremely important because they identify various brain structures involved in the fear-arousing effects of footshock as measured by the shock sensitization of acoustic startle. Laboratory rats received muscimol (0.1ug and 0.01ug) infusions into the basolateral amygdala, dorsal and ventral hippocampus. These three brain regions have been identified as playing a prominent role in fear neurocircuitry. The results demonstrated that the GABA A receptor agonist muscimol in doses of 0.1ug and 0.01ug reliably blocked shock sensitization of the acoustic startle response. The muscimol doses did not alter the shock reactivity amplitudes therefore indicating a normal perception of the fear arousing properties of footshock. Therefore, the present study's results suggest that a decrease of GABA activity in the amygdala, dorsal and ventral hippocampus may be essential for the neuronal basis of fear acquisition and expression of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli.

Vår kropp är utrustad med alarmsystem som hindrar människan från skada, rädslan får oss uppmärksammad på faran och agerar därefter. Poliser befinner sig många gånger i utsatta situationer som kan bidra till känslomässigt svåra upplevelser, samtidigt uppfattas poliser som starka och många gånger odödliga. Forskning visar att det finns lite utrymme och acceptans till känsloyttringar inom den polisiära kulturen. Åtta poliser varav tre kvinnor intervjuades med fokus på deras upplevelse och hantering av rädsla i arbetet. Data som analyserades utifrån meningskoncentrering, visade att rädsla uppstår hos poliser i deras arbete, men att rädsla inte alltid uttalas. Rädsla tar sig olika uttryck och då främst i sättet att hantera den. Studien visade även att det finns attityder till rädsla bland poliser som bland annat innebär oro för negativa effekter av uttalad rädsla. I likhet med en studie av Christianson och Karlssons (2003) visade även denna studie att intervjupersonerna valde att tala om incidenter som inträffat under deras första år som polis. Om detta beror på habituering eller om intervjupersonerna lärt sig under sin karriär som polis att trycka undan känslor som inte går i linje med den polisiära kulturen låter författaren vara osagt.

When a human or animal is threatened or confronted with a stimuli signalling danger, internal defence mechanisms are activated that evoke feelings of fear and anxiety. These emotional responses promote the behaviour patterns necessary for an organism's survival. Animal research seeks to understand how these emotions affect behaviour both physiologically and neurologically in order to develop effective treatment for those suffering from severe anxiety disorders. The aim of this thesis was to examine the role of the amygdala, and dorsal and ventral hippocampus in relation to immediate fear arousal brought on by footshock. This was assessed by examining whether muscimol would interfere with the acoustic startle response before or after footshock presentation, and then comparing these reactions to a control group that received saline infusions. The results of this research are extremely important because they identify various brain structures involved in the fear-arousing effects of footshock as measured by the shock sensitization of acoustic startle. Laboratory rats received muscimol (0.1ug and 0.01ug) infusions into the basolateral amygdala, dorsal and ventral hippocampus. These three brain regions have been identified as playing a prominent role in fear neurocircuitry. The results demonstrated that the GABA A receptor agonist muscimol in doses of 0.1ug and 0.01ug reliably blocked shock sensitization of the acoustic startle response. The muscimol doses did not alter the shock reactivity amplitudes therefore indicating a normal perception of the fear arousing properties of footshock. Therefore, the present study's results suggest that a decrease of GABA activity in the amygdala, dorsal and ventral hippocampus may be essential for the neuronal basis of fear acquisition and expression of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli.

Thesis--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-45).

No description available.

No description available.

Reward and punishment have been studied in the laboratory for their relative effects on learning processes and on perceptual processes they have been studied in the classroom for their relative effects on learning and on modification of performance of various motor and mental tasks; they have been studied in relation to intellectual, age and sex factors, and temperamental or personality factors; and they have recently been studied in a clinical setting in connection with problems of psychopathology, The studies concerned with personality variables reflect a broadening concern with personality dynamics that has accompanied the recent rapid expansion of interest in the clinical area of psychology. They strongly suggest that there are differences related to personality factors in the effects and perhaps the effectiveness of rewarding and punishing incentive conditions. It was to explore some of the implications of these studies and to extend the empirical data in this area that the present research was designed. It was to explore some of the implications of these studies and to extend the empirical data in this area that the present research was designed. To provide a framework for the discussion which follows the major aspects of two studies will be outlined. / This thesis was digitized as part of a project begun in 2014 to increase the number of Duke psychology theses available online. The digitization project was spearheaded by Ciara Healy.

Escape maintained behavior in dogs is generally displayed by one of two behaviors-fleeing or aggression. Once aggression is negatively reinforced by the removal of the aversive stimulus, it is very difficult to eliminate from the organism's repertoire. Counterconditioning is the process of pairing a positive reinforcer with an aversive stimulus in the attempts that an organism will no longer exhibit fear responses in its presence. This process must be done gradually with small approximations. Many organisms have been trained to tolerate the presence of aversive stimuli via counterconditioning. However, this process can be time consuming and has inconsistent results. The purpose of this experiment was to monitor the effects of counter conditioning around an aversive stimulus while simultaneously training an identical behavior in the presence of a neutral stimulus. The results demonstrated that even though counterconditioning produced approach to the aversive stimulus the subject still exhibited numerous fear responses when results were compared to the control condition.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Med.))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, 1997.