The effect of handling habituation on the acquisition and retention of an avoidance response (Kamin effect) in rats

Abstract

Three groups of 10 rats were given handling habituation prior to training to a criterion of three total avoidance responses and tested for retention after 0, 1, or 24 h. Three other groups were not handled but were trained and tested in an identical fashion. Results indicated that handling habituation did not facilitate original learning, nor did it prevent a retention decrement at the 1-h interval, the Kamin effect.