Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Shuttle box. A shuttle box (also known as a choice chamber or double chamber) is a chamber of two or more compartments that require an animal to move (or shuttle) from one compartment to another. The shuttle box is extremely useful in the study of escape, avoidance, and punishment. A limitation of the device is that (when aversive stimulation such as electric shock is used) animals are reluctant to reenter a compartment in which they received aversive stimulation. The primary data in shuttle box studies is latency: the time taken to move from one compartment to another. Number of responses and the amount of time spent in each compartment are also used. Shuttle box examples are shown for the snail, cockroach, bee, and crab.