The Vogel Conflict Test is a classic and commonly used anxiety assessment model. It evaluates anxiety-like behaviors in mice by creating a psychological conflict of "wanting to drink water but fearing electric shock" and is widely applied in the screening of anti-anxiety drugs. By punishing the animals' normal drinking behavior, it creates a psychological conflict between "thirst drive" and "fear of electric shock," thereby quantifying the level of anxiety.
During the test period, the more times an animal licks water despite being shocked, the lower its anxiety level; the fewer the times, the higher the anxiety level and the more severe the behavioral inhibition.
