Zhukov D A
Laboratory of the Physiology and Pathology of the Endocrine System, I.P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Saint Petersburg.
Neurosci Behav Physiol. 1994 May-Jun;24(3):280-3. doi: 10.1007/BF02362035.
A riddance deficit in the shuttle chamber after unavoidable and avoidable stressor influences has been recorded in rats of two lines that differ in the capacity to form active avoidance: the KHA line-rats with a high rate of learning, and KLA-rats which learn poorly. Unavoidable stress leads to a riddance deficit only in KHA rats, whereas avoidable stress forms it only in KLA rats. It is hypothesized that "learned helplessness" represents a pathology of adaptive behavior, if unavoidable stress is applied to KHA rats, while in KLA rats., it is one of the forms of adaptive behavior as a result of avoidable stress.