From dud to stud: copulatory behavior elicited through conditioned arousal in sexually inactive male rats

Sexually inactive male rats were conditioned to associate tones with electric shock to the flanks. In subsequent tests, when only tones were presented in the presence of an estrous female, these males began to copulate, pacing their behavior to the tone presentations. Only one animal tested for sexual behavior without the tones mated. It is suggested that the momentary augmentation of nonspecific arousal can lead to the initiation and subsequent pacing of mating responses in noncopulators.