Inescapable Aversive Stimulus Decreases Subsequent Escape Responding in Humans: An Investigation of the Learned Helplessness Effect in a 3D Virtual Environment

<p>Exposure to an inescapable aversive stimulus decreases escape responses to subsequent escapable aversive stimuli. This is known as the learned helplessness effect. In the present experiment, human participants were trained in an immersive, 3D virtual environment analog of an operant chamber using an inescapable aversive stimulus, an escapable aversive stimulus, or no aversive stimulus. Then, all participants were tested using an immersive, 3D virtual environment analog of a shuttle box using an escapable aversive stimulus. Participants trained with an inescapable aversive stimulus were slower to escape during testing than participants trained with an escapable aversive stimulus. The current results demonstrate that the learned helplessness effect can be established in humans using 3D virtual environments and a mild aversive stimulus.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Kilday, Zachary

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bradley Sturz
• Janice Steirn

• ETD
• learned helplessness
• escape learning
• virtual environment
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/834

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1843