Use of cold-restraint to examine psychological factors in gastric ulceration

The influence of prior classical conditioning and predictability of shock on stress-induced gastric ulceration produced by cold-restraint was examined. Optimal durations of cold-restraint treatment were first determined. Secondly, the ulcerogenic effect of reserpine and the ulcer-inhibiting influence of atropine were demonstrated using cold-restraint. Next, it was found that neither prior classical conditioning nor the psychological manipulation of predictability of shock affected gastric ulceration produced by cold-restraint. The final study suggests the hypothesis that hypothermia produced by cold-restraint inhibits the influence of the psychological factors on stress ulceration. Cold-restraint is viewed as an inappropriate technique to use in the further examination of the influence of specific psychological factors on stress-induced ulceration.