Electric shock produced drinking in the squirrel monkey.
Electric shock can trigger drinking as an unlearned reflex in monkeys, reminding us that aversive stimuli produce species-specific side effects.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Scientists gave squirrel monkeys brief electric shocks to the tail.
They watched what the monkeys did next.
The monkeys had not been trained to drink or press levers before.
What they found
Each shock made the monkeys drink water right away.
The drinking happened even when the monkeys had not bitten or pressed anything.
Shock alone was enough to start the drinking response.
How this fits with other research
SCHUTZ et al. (1962) saw rats fight when shocked. Jones et al. (1977) saw monkeys drink. Same stimulus, different species, different reflex.
Lyon et al. (1970) showed monkeys can learn to be aggressive when a tone means shock is coming. The new study shows shock can also trigger drinking without any training.
HERRNSTEISLOANE (1964) found shock made rats press a bar more, not less. Together these papers warn: aversive events can produce side effects you did not plan for.
Why it matters
If you use punishment or sudden aversive events, watch for unexpected reflexes. A client might drink, bite, or freeze instead of stopping the problem behavior. Always map the full response chain after any aversive stimulus so you can plan for these reflexive side effects.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Squirrel monkeys were periodically exposed to brief electric tail shocks in a test environment containing a rubber hose, response lever, and a water spout. Shock delivery produced preshock lever pressing and postshock hose biting. Additionally, all subjects displayed licking responses following postshock biting-attack episodes. Further experiments showed that licking was: (1) influenced by hours of water deprivation; (2) drinking behavior; (3) the direct result of shock delivery; and (4) developed spontaneously in naive subjects with or without opportunities for hose biting or lever pressing. Removing the opportunity to attack increased postshock drinking. A noxious environmental stimulus that causes aggression can also produce drinking.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 1977 · doi:10.1901/jeab.1977.28-1