<p>The first sentence of the abstract is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Rats given a series of shocks exhibit a potentiated startle response to a loud
acoustic stimulus compared to nonshocked animals</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Shock sensitization to startle refers to how giving a series of shocks results in a stronger startle in response to a startling acoustic stimulus.</p>
<p>The first sentence of the introduction is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Presentation of a stimulus (e.g., a tone or a light) that had been previously paired with an aversive stimulus (e.g., shock) markedly enhances the unconditioned startle response to a loud, unexpected noise. This effect is referred to as fear potentiation of startle</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Fear potentiation of startle is a more general case of &quot;shock sensitization to startle&quot; - animals who are made fearful respond more strongly to a startling cue. This is probably something you are familiar with as a human, too: think about jump scares in a haunted house, being startled by something while watching a scary movie, a sudden noise when walking in the dark, etc.</p>
<p>When reading a paper you might start at the beginning and find the first places that terms you are interested in are mentioned - that's usually where they will be defined.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-26T15:20:58.930Z
2020-08-26T17:09:52.170Z
2020-08-26T17:09:52.170Z
Bryan Krause
<p>I am reading paper-listed below-that talks about three terms,
Conditioned freezing;
Shock sensitization to startle;
Conditioned fear potentiation to startle.</p>
<p>I understand that conditioned freezing takes place when the subject (rat) learns to associate a neutral stimulus (CS) with an aversive stimulus (US), such that when the CS is presented alone, the subject will freeze in the form of defensive behavior. However, I do not understand its relation to the other two terms listed above.</p>
<p>The paper citation is below,</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2302(200005)36:4%3C282::AID-DEV3%3E3.0.CO;2-X" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Richardson, R., &amp; Vishney, A. (2000)</a>. Shock sensitization of startle in the developing rat. Developmental Psychobiology: The Journal of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 36(4), 282-291.</p>

<neuroscience><behavior><behavioural-neuroscience>
Difference between conditioned freezing, shock sensitization to startle and conditioned fear potentiation to startle?
Malaz Kreiker
# Difference between conditioned freezing, shock sensitization to startle and conditioned fear potentiation to startle?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-26)

I am reading paper-listed below-that talks about three terms,
Conditioned freezing;
Shock sensitization to startle;
Conditioned fear potentiation to startle.

I understand that conditioned freezing takes place when the subject (rat) learns to associate a neutral stimulus (CS) with an aversive stimulus (US), such that when the CS is presented alone, the subject will freeze in the form of defensive behavior. However, I do not understand its relation to the other two terms listed above.

The paper citation is below,

[Richardson, R., & Vishney, A. (2000)](https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2302(200005)36:4%3C282::AID-DEV3%3E3.0.CO;2-X). Shock sensitization of startle in the developing rat. Developmental Psychobiology: The Journal of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 36(4), 282-291.

**Tags:** neuroscience, behavior, behavioural-neuroscience


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-26. Score: 3

The first sentence of the abstract is:

> Rats given a series of shocks exhibit a potentiated startle response to a loud
> acoustic stimulus compared to nonshocked animals

Shock sensitization to startle refers to how giving a series of shocks results in a stronger startle in response to a startling acoustic stimulus.

The first sentence of the introduction is:

> Presentation of a stimulus (e.g., a tone or a light) that had been previously paired with an aversive stimulus (e.g., shock) markedly enhances the unconditioned startle response to a loud, unexpected noise. This effect is referred to as fear potentiation of startle

Fear potentiation of startle is a more general case of "shock sensitization to startle" - animals who are made fearful respond more strongly to a startling cue. This is probably something you are familiar with as a human, too: think about jump scares in a haunted house, being startled by something while watching a scary movie, a sudden noise when walking in the dark, etc.

When reading a paper you might start at the beginning and find the first places that terms you are interested in are mentioned - that's usually where they will be defined.


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