Abstract
Two experiments examined the counterconditioning of an aversively motivated response in rats. Presentation of a highly palatable sugar solution (maltose in Experiment 1; sucrose in Experiment 2) to thirsty rats was used as the counterconditioning treatment. In Experiment 1, the counterconditioning procedure was found to be effective in modifying both a newly acquired and a cue-reactivated fear memory. In Experiment 2, the counterconditioning effect was shown to occur when the fear memory was reactivated with a noncontingent exposure to the unconditioned stimulus rather than the conditioned stimulus. This outcome supports the interpretation of counterconditioning as a modification of some central representation of the original training memory, rather than the acquisition of a competing peripheral response. The methodological implications of the present approach to counterconditioning are considered.
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This research was supported in part by NIMH Grant MH37535 to D.C.R. During preparation of this report R.R. was supported by N.R.S.A. MH09179 from NIMH.
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Richardson, R., Riccio, D.C. & Smoller, D. Counterconditioning of memory in rats. Animal Learning & Behavior 15, 321–326 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03205025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03205025