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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1965 Nov;8(6):397–403. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1965.8-397

Classical conditioning of aggressive display in Siamese fighting fish1

Travis Thompson, Thomas Sturm
PMCID: PMC1338121  PMID: 5851396

Abstract

Unconditioned aggressive-display behavior elicited by the mirror image of a male Siamese Fighting Fish was brought under the control of a previously ineffective stimulus by classical conditioning. A stimulus light repeatedly paired with mirror presentation came to elicit the complex aggressive-behavior sequence. Relative rates of acquisition of four components of the display were compared. Fin erection and undulating movements were acquired most rapidly while gill-cover erection and frontal approach were acquired most slowly. A discriminative conditioning procedure revealed that the response was specifically elicited by the conditioned stimulus, and not a sensitization artifact.

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Selected References

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  1. THOMPSON T., STURM T. VISUAL-REINFORCER COLOR, AND OPERANT BEHAVIOR IN SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH. J Exp Anal Behav. 1965 Sep;8:341–344. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1965.8-341. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Thompson T. I. Visual Reinforcement in Siamese Fighting Fish. Science. 1963 Jul 5;141(3575):55–57. doi: 10.1126/science.141.3575.55. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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