Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Fear Incubation Using an Extended Fear-Conditioning Protocol for Rats
Published on: August 22, 2020
Body temperature as a conditional response measure for pavlovian fear conditioning
B P Godsil1, J J Quinn, M S Fanselow
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1563, USA. godsil@lifesci.ucla.edu
Abstract:
On six days rats were exposed to each of two contexts. They received an electric shock in one context and nothing in the other. Rats were tested later in each environment without shock. The rats froze and defecated more often in the shock-paired environment; they also exhibited a significantly larger elevation in rectal temperature in that environment. The rats discriminated between each context, and we suggest that the elevation in temperature is the consequence of associative learning. Thus, body temperature can be used as a conditional response measure in Pavlovian fear conditioning experiments that use footshock as the unconditional stimulus.
Related Concept Videos
Thermosensation
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Body Temperature
Body Temperature
The average body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F) and typically ranges from 36.1–37.2°C (97–99°F), remaining relatively stable...
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs salivated...
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...

