AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Definition. Active avoidance refers to experimental behavioral paradigms where subjects (mainly rodents) are trained, following the onset of a conditioned stimulus (CS), to move from a starting position to another position in the testing apparatus within a fixed amount of time (avoidance).

Detailed explanation-2: -A Learned helplessness In a typical active avoidance test, animals are confined to one side of a shuttle box chamber where footshocks are delivered but the animal has the opportunity of actively escaping the footshock. Animals previously exposed to inescapable stress show reduced abilities to escape in this model.

Detailed explanation-3: -Active avoidance learning was initially considered to be a two-factor learning process consisting of fear conditioning, followed by instrumental conditioning. In fear conditioning, a subject acquires fear of a certain unconditioned stimulus (e.g., an electric shock) through Pavlovian conditioning.

Detailed explanation-4: -a response in which an organism anticipates an aversive stimulus and consequently attempts to prevent contact with this stimulus. The avoidance response is a form of abient behavior (see abience). Also called avoidance reaction.