Four groups of subjects, representing extreme combinations of energizing (DE) and disruptive (DD) drive learned a non-competitional, followed by a competitional, paired-associates task, under one of two conditions of stress (fast or slow presentation rate of list). Three stages of learning/performance were examined: learning of associations to errorless criterion; learning response facilitation with error free list; and performance at asymptotic level (i.e., when learning of list associations and response facilitation were both complete). In stage 1 learning, the dependent variables were trails and errors to criterion; in stage 2, trials to criterion and response latency; and in stage 3, response latency. The results showed that the two drives had independent effects at all stages and that high DE facilitated performance in stage 3, whereas DD had no effect at all.
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