Abstract
In this study, we investigated the separability of novelty from specific stimulus characteristics (e.g., color or taste quality) in the transfer of aversion effects. Ninety-six chicks (Gallus domesticus) received a novel visual (red water) or taste (3.0% vinegar) CS paired with an injection of lithium chloride or saline. The chicks were then tested for aversion to the CS or for conditioning-enhanced neophobia in response to a different novel visual cue (green water) or taste cue (1.0% saline). Aversions to the CSs were reliable and similar to each other. Reliable evidence of conditioning-enhanced neophobia occurred with respect to each test stimulus, irrespective of the type of CS, but conditioning with the vinegar CS produced reliably greater enhancement of neophobia than did conditioning with red water. For each CS, postconditioning neophobia was more persistent in testing with saline than with green water. The results for postconditioning neophobia suggested that novelty is a general stimulus property that is separable from specific stimulus characteristics.
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Franchina, J.J., Dyer, A.B. Cross-modality transfer effects in conditioning-enhanced neophobia in chicks (Gallus domesticus): Evidence for the separability of novelty from specific stimulus characteristics. Animal Learning & Behavior 17, 261–265 (1989). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207643
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207643