Abstract
In three experiments, rats received presentations of a diffuse 30-sec stimulus (a light) and of food, and their tendency to enter the food tray was monitored. Experiment 1 showed that when the light was made to signal the delivery of food, the response of entering the food tray increased in frequency during the stimulus. The acquisition of this conditioned response to the light was retarded in subjects that had received preexposure to the stimulus. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects received preexposure to the stimulus, some in the same context as that subsequently used for stimulus-food pairings and some in a different context. Those experiencing the change of context acquired the response more readily. It is argued that these results demonstrate a latent inhibition effect that is attenuated by contextual change.
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Willner, J. A.Spatial factors in latent inhibition. Paper presented at the meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Hartford, Connecticut, 1980.
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This work was supported by a grant from the United Kingdom Science and Engineering Research Council.
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Channell, S., Hall, G. Contextual effects in latent inhibition with an appetitive conditioning procedure. Animal Learning & Behavior 11, 67–74 (1983). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212309
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212309