A PARAMETRICAL STUDY OF 2-WAY ACTIVE-AVOIDANCE ACQUISITION AND LONG-TERM RETENTION - NEW APPROACHES FOR DATA ANALYSES

The acquisition and long-term retention (LTR, 14 days) of a massed two-way active avoidance conditioning using two parameters of conditioned stimulus (CS) duration and unconditioned stimulus (US) intensity was studied. Two different tests of LTR were used: with and without the presentation of the US (Additional learning and Extinction). Results were analyzed by means of analyses of variance complemented with the use of other non-traditional statistical analyses (time-series and survival analyses). Results showed a better performance using the US of lower intensity, specially when the longer CS was used. The use of an extinction procedure does not seem to be as adequate as the use of a session of additional learning to asses LTR. On the other hand, both time-series and survival analyses can afford valuable data to complement and improve those obtained from the analyses of variance.