Abstract
Experiment 1 investigated the effects of US habituation on the acquisition and extinction of learned taste aversions in rats. Subjects receiving five noncontingent LiCl intubations prior to conditioning failed to develop a conditioned taste aversion, while control subjects experiencing a single saccharin/LiCl pairing displayed a pronounced taste aversion which weakened during subsequent poisonings. Experiment 2 examined whether habituation, defined as a waning of responses to repeated presentation of an illness stimulus, was a possible mechanism for explaining the results of Experiment 1. Subjects showed a decrease in motor activity following an initial LiCl intubation, but less attenuation of activity with successive intubations.
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Reference Notes
Brookshire, K. H., & Brackbill, R. M.Habituation to illness: Effects on acquisition and retention of a conditioned taste aversion. Paper presented at 12th annual meeting of Psychonomic Society, St. Louis, 1971.
Gamzu, E.Preexposure to an UCS alone may eliminate taste aversions. Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Boston, 1974.
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This research was submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Temple University.
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Cain, N.W., Baenninger, R. Habituation to illness: Effects of prior experience with the US on the formation of learned taste aversions in rats. Animal Learning & Behavior 5, 359–364 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209579
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209579