The SHUTAVOID for Windows is designed by the Software Department of Panlab, to control experiments carried out simultaneously with up of up to 8 shuttle boxes. The program controls the presentation of visual and acoustic stimuli and shock duration, at the same time that it records the position of the experimental subject in each of the shuttle boxes, deciding about stimuli presentation accordingly. The data relating to each of the observed events are stored in results files that pick up the information acquired during the working session.

The program is capable of performing the procedure of yoked fully automatically. When working in this way, two cages are associated, one being the master and one slave. All stimuli received master's cage is also presented in the slave without the individual to alter its behavior (avoidance) what happens.

To operate, the program requires the previous existence of “Schedules”. Schedules are a set-up of definitions related to the length of each event that occurs in the shuttle box and their respective consequences. The Schedules establish the conditions that must be met during a working session.

A “classical” terminology is used in this Manual when referring to stimulus and the responses emitted by the experimental subjects. It is obvious that this is not the only terminology possible nor is used by all the investigators in this field. When we refer to “unconditioned stimulus” and “unconditioned response”, we refer to the set-up of environmental conditions that determine the appearance of an escape response. An escape response is understood as a response that forms part of the basic behavioral repertory of the experimental subject, independently from any previous experience. When talking about “conditioned stimulus” and “conditioned response” we refer, to the environmental conditions that produce the appearance of the avoidance responses when they are temporarily associated with the unconditioned stimulus and, on the other hand, to the avoidance response generated by this presentation.