Latent inhibition from context-dependent retrieval of conflicting information

Abstract

Rats were trained to lick and were tested for lick suppression to a tone in one apparatus/context. They were conditioned (tone-shock) in a different apparatus/context. Prior to conditioning, they received unreinforced preexposure to the tone (PCE) in the lick test box (Group A), in the conditioning box (Group X), or in a box different from both the test and conditioning boxes (Group B), or they received no PCE (Group N). In both Experiments 1 and 2, Group A was the only group to show latent inhibition (i.e., to show less conditioned lick suppression than did Group N). Context-dependent retrieval of “this CS signals nothing” information acquired during PCE reduces lick suppression when PCE and test contexts match, but not when PCE and conditioning contexts match.