Abstract
Conditioned inhibition was observed in a flavor conditioning setting. All groups received excitatory trials in which a coffee taste and environmental cues were paired with toxicosis. Experimental groups also received inhibitory trials in which the conditioned excitatory cues were followed 0, 5, or 15 min later by exposure to a vinegar solution. Controls experienced this sequence with a 24 h interval. While conventional tests of inhibition usually assess the inhibitor’s effects on some excitatory stimulus, this experiment tested vinegar preference in the absence of an excitatory context. All three experimental groups preferred vinegar more than controls did. Moreover, there was a nonsignificant trend toward increased vinegar preferences as the interval separating the excitatory cue and the vinegar cue was increased from 0 to 15 min. These results are important because they (1) demonstrate that a flavor conditioned inhibitor may be tested directly, as excitors are usually tested, and (2) suggest that temporal factors may be important in the development of conditioned inhibition.
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Batson, J.D., Best, M.R. Single-element assessment of conditioned inhibition. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 18, 328–330 (1981). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333642
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333642