ELICITATION AND PUNISHMENT OF INTRASPECIES AGGRESSION BY THE SAME STIMULUS¹

Abstract

Fighting responses were elicited in pairs of rats by shocks over a period of 46 days. During certain blocks of these days, "punishing" shocks were made contingent on the shock-elicited fights. Fighting frequency was reduced as a direct function of the intensity of the contingent shocks. Fighting frequency recovered completely when contingent shocks were removed.

Punishment of irritable aggression

“…The results of these experiments corroborate the findings of Roberts and Blase (1971), that a stimulus of the same intensity and duration used to induce aggression can function to suppress aggressive behavior when that stimulus is presented contingent on the occurrence of that aggressive response. The results also indicated that the response-contingent shock punishment functioned to suppress shock-induced attack regardless of fighting history.…”

“…Consistent with the informal observations of Roberts and Blase (1971), the data of Experiment 2 showed that the punishment groups evidenced a longer duration of fighting per shock than the control groups, regardless of fighting history conditions. Because the duration group of Experiment 2 also showed this increased duration of attack, and because punishment most frequently increased shock duration, the increased duration of attack during punishment appears to be nothing more than a consequence of the increased shock duration during an attack-inducing trial.…”

“…Although recent studies have suggested that suppression of irritable aggression could be accomplished using punishment procedures (Azrin, 1970;Baenninger and Grossman, 1969;Roberts and Blase, 1971;Ulrich et al, 1969;Wetzel, 1972), these data do not unequivocally challenge the Ulrich et al (1965) position. Ulrich, Dulaney, Arnett, and Mueller (1973) citing those punishment studies, concluded that punishment of irritable aggression could result in decreased frequencies of the punished aggressive response but concomitantly could result in increased aggression directed towards other targets, increased duration and vigor of aggression when it occurs, or other deleterious side effects.…”

“…Ulrich, Dulaney, Arnett, and Mueller (1973) citing those punishment studies, concluded that punishment of irritable aggression could result in decreased frequencies of the punished aggressive response but concomitantly could result in increased aggression directed towards other targets, increased duration and vigor of aggression when it occurs, or other deleterious side effects. In support of that position, such concomitants of punishment have occasionally been reported in the form of informal observations (e.g., Roberts and Blase, 1971;Ulrich et al, 1969). In addition to informal observations that provide support for the Ulrich et al (1973) position questioning punishment as a technique to control irritable aggression, the methodologies of the punishment studies cloud the results and provide no firm basis for challenging the Ulrich et al (1973) position.…”

The Organization of Aggression and Fear In Vertebrates

“…Both Azrin (1970) and Roberts and Blase (1971) also used shock to punish shock-induced attack, in monkeys and rats, respectively, and found that attacks decreased as a function of the intensity of contingent shock. Other studies have involved artificially induced defeat following aggressive encounters (e.g., in mice: Hudgens and MacNeil, 1970;Kahn, 1951;Lagerspetz, 1964), with the result that attack became markedly reduced or absent on subsequent occasions.…”