Abstract
A light and a tone were presented unpaired or paired with onset intervals of −.5, 0,.5, or 1 sec to independent groups of 18 male students. For all Ss, the second stage involved classical conditioning of GSR to tone, and the third stage tested for sensory preconditioning (SPC) in extinction trials to light. The results indicated that no SPC occurred, but on two test trials there was a significant quadratic component in the relationship of difference scores to the preconditioning interstimulus interval. It is suggested that Ss’ hypotheses about stimulus relations should be considered in SPC research with humans.
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Olson, C.L. The magnitude of sensory preconditioning as a function of the time interval between stimulus onsets. Psychon Sci 22, 117–118 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332523
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332523