Dual mechanisms in passive avoidance: I

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Female rats received shock through objects varying in discriminability. Poorly discriminable objects elicited rapid avoidance acquisition, with suppression of activity and subsequent avoidance of the shock chamber (increased entry latencies). Highly discriminable shock objects also elicited rapid acquisition of avoidance, but without activity suppression or chamber avoidance. This pattern of findings suggests dual mechanisms for passive avoidance, with discriminated avoidance underlying failure to contact highly discriminable shock objects, and response suppression (immobility) underlying avoidance of poorly discriminable sources of threat.