Enhanced discriminability and reduced associability following flavor preexposure

Abstract

Four experiments examined generalization of a flavor aversion to novel and familiar test stimuli. Experiment 1 showed that the generalization of an aversion from one stimulus, A, to another, B, was reduced when B had been preexposed (cf. M. R. Best and J. D. Batson, 1977, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 3, 132–143) . Experiments 2, 3, and 4 demonstrated that generalization of an aversion to a novel simulus was greater than to a familiar B stimulus irrespective of whether the A flavor had itself been preexposed. Experiment 3 also showed that preeposure to A retarded the acquisition of an aversion to A. These results were interpreted as indicating that exposure to flavors reduces their associability and increases their discriminability. Two possible mechanisms for these effects were explored.