Startle and Reward-Based Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

Using 30 male rats in a within-subjects design, the hypothesis was tested that avoidance-avoidance conflict based on the omission of food reward in a two-choice discrimination task would result in a more intense acoustic startle reaction than would the absence of such conflict. To maintain a high level of conflict, training days were interspersed between test days. Data showed no differences between conflict and nonconflict conditions.