Latent inhibition as a function of CS intensity in taste aversion learning

Abstract

An experiment is reported in which the relationship between the intensity of a preexposed stimulus and latent inhibition was investigated, using the taste aversion learning paradigm in rats. Two concentrations of a saline solution (high, 1%; and low, 0.25%) were used during preexposure and conditioning phases in a factorial design. Two control conditions without preexposure were added, one for each stimulus concentration during conditioning. The known effect of conditioned stimulus (CS) intensity during conditioning was confirmed: the more concentrated the solution used in conditioning, the higher the acquisition rate. A direct relationship was observed between the CS intensity used during preexposure and the latent inhibition effect: the more concentrated the solution during preexposure, the lower the acquisition rate of conditioning. The implications of these results for latent inhibition theories are considered.