Final answer:
In fear conditioning, anxiolytic-like effects in a lab rat are shown when it c. spends less time freezing in response to a cue previously associated with a shock, which indicates reduced fear or anxiety.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a fear conditioning procedure, anxiolytic-like effects are shown if a lab rat c. spends less time freezing in the presence of a shock-paired cue. This behavioral response indicates a reduction in the anxiety or fear that the animal experiences in a context where it has previously learned to anticipate a negative outcome, such as a shock. The process of fear conditioning involves the association of a previously neutral stimulus with an aversive event, leading to fearful or anxious responses when the neutral stimulus is presented in the future.
Animal research, such as studies involving rats and the activation of their amygdala, has found that the presence of a comforting or familiar context, like the presence of the mother for pups, can modulate these fear responses. On the other hand, the process of operant conditioning involves learning to associate behaviors with their consequences, which differs from the associative learning seen in classical conditioning mechanisms of fear acquisition.
Historical experiments, such as those conducted by Watson and Rayner with Little Albert, demonstrate how emotions like fear can become conditioned responses via classical conditioning. However, today's ethical standards in research provide guidelines to ensure the welfare of human and animal subjects in experimental settings.