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University of the Pacific

The relationship between food and fear

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Traditionally, the procedure of feeding an organism in a fear-producting situation has been viewed as having a fear-reducing effect, called counterconditioning. English and English define counterconditioning as the procedure of conditioning a second and conflicting response to a conditioned stimulus that is not simultaneously being reinforced. Fear is reduced by conditioning to the fear-producing stimuli the incompatible emotional responses associated with eating (e.g.--Miller, 1951)</p><p>The strength of fear was illustrated by Miller in 1951. He found that albino rats, trained to run down an alley to secure food at a distinctive place and motivated by a 46-hour hunger, would pull with a force of 50 gm. if they were restrained near the food.</p>Studeis done by Faber (1948), Jones (1924) and Wolpe (1952) found that Ss fed in a fear-producing situation were consequently less fearful than Ss not receving food in the situation. In Nelson's second experiement the results suggested that these experiemtns primarily reflected the effects of exposure.</p><p>The present experimentis designed to examine the difference in results between the Incentive and the Incentive Control groups, if the conditions are changed. The Ss in the Incentive Control group are forced to spend an amount of time in the two compartments equal to the time spent in each compartment by a matched S in the Incentive conditin, but with food present. The present experiment tried to indicate that at least for the Incentive and the Incentive Control groups the variable of free, as opposed to forced, exposure is a significant factor</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Psychology
Year dc:date.available
1967

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Tjahjono, Henry
Contributors dc:contributor
  • W. Edgar Gregory

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1644
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholarlycommons.pacific.edu:uop_etds-2643

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of the Pacific
Base URL
scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Tjahjono, Henry. The relationship between food and fear. Thesis thesis, 1967. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1644