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: "It is implied by "interference' theories in general and the fear hypothesis in particular that acts motivated by fear will not be inhibited but rather will be facilitated by punishment, when they are compatible with the responses to the punishing stimulus." 24 rats learned to traverse an 8-section circular runway and enter an escape cage to avoid shock. Then some were shocked for entering the last 2 sections, some were given a stronger shock in these sections and some were shocked only on every third trial. "The punishment facilitated the punished act, and the facilitation increased with the intensity of the punishing stimulus. There was no evidence of inhibition until after many repetitions of the punishment. Despite its facilitatory effects, the punishment eventually inhibited the punished act, and the inhibition increased with continued repetitions of the punishment. The observed effects of punishment did not differ significantly for subjects punished on every trial as compared with those punished on every third trial only." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

(C) 1949 by the American Psychological Association