The effect of partial reinforcement on instrumental successive negative contrast in inbred Roman High- (RHA-I) and Low- (RLA-I) Avoidance rats.

Frustration is an emotional response that can be induced by the sudden devaluation of a reinforcer in the presence of greater reinforcement expectancies (e.g. instrumental successive negative contrast, iSNC). This emotional response seems to be similar to anxiety and can be attenuated by previous experiences of reward loss (e.g. partial reinforcement, PR, as opposed to continuous reinforcement, CR). In this study we used iSNC and PR procedures in order to compare the performance of two strains of rats psychogenetically selected on the basis of their emotional reactivity: the inbred Roman High- (RHA-I, low anxiety) and Low- (RLA-I, high anxiety) Avoidance rats. Animals were exposed to a straight alley, where they were changed from 12 pellets in the preshift phase (presented in 100% of trials-CR vs. 50% of trials-PR) to 2 pellets in the postshift phase, or exposed to 2 pellets throughout the training. The results indicated that the iSNC only appeared in RLA-I rats exposed to CR, as opposed to RLA-I animals exposed to PR and to RHA-I rats exposed to PR or CR. These data seem to support the implication of emotional responses in both iSNC and PR situations, and indicate that the behavioral reactivity to reward loss experiences is modulated by genetic variables.

Respuestas de frustración en humanos / Frustration response in humans

La frustración es un estado emocional que se desencadena ante acontecimientos que involucran la reducción o supresión inesperada de reforzadores apetitivos. En este artículo se presentan una serie de trabajos realizados con humanos en los cuales se omiten, devalúan o interrumpen refuerzos alimenticios, monetarios, sociales y juegos de entretenimientos. La mayoría de los resultados experimentales son análogos a los hallados con animales no humanos, aunque agregan información sobre reacciones específicamente humanas, tales como los informes verbales, las expresiones faciales y cómo se regula mediante los estilos atribucionales y la personalidad. Finalmente se discute si la frustración puede o no enmarcarse dentro de las emociones básicas.

Frustration is an emotional state elicitated by the unexpected reduction or suppression of appetitive reinforcers. In this article studies of frustration with humans are presented, in which food, monetary, social reinforcers and entertainment games are either omitted, devaluated or interrupted. The majority of the experimental results are analogous to the results founded with non-human subjects, though they add information about human reactions such as verbal reports, facial expressions, and how these responses are regulated by the contribution of attribution styles and personality. Finally, the possibility of categorizing frustration as one of the basic emotions is also discussed.