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STARTLE REACTION: MODIFICATION BY BACKGROUND ACOUSTIC STIMULATION.

H S HOFFMAN·M FLESHLER
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Abstract

Six rats were exposed to a sequence of gunshot-like acoustical bursts during silence, during steady noise, and during pulsed noise. Assessment of their startle reactions to the bursts revealed that a background of steady noise enhanced the response, whereas a background of pulsed noise produced suppression of response. It is hypothesized that pulsed noise causes a relative refractory state in the mechanisms responsible for startle and that steady noise may enhance startle by masking uncontrolled punctiform acoustic stimuli.

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Acoustic StimulationAnimalsBehavior, AnimalMaleNoiseRatsReflexReflex, StartleResearchStress, PhysiologicalBEHAVIOR, ANIMALEXPERIMENTAL LAB STUDYNOISERATSREFLEXSTRESSJournal Article

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BibTeXRIS

H S HOFFMAN, M FLESHLER. 1963-09-06. STARTLE REACTION: MODIFICATION BY BACKGROUND ACOUSTIC STIMULATION.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.141.3584.928

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