Abstract
In 3 experiments, rats were given nonreinforced preexposure to an auditory stimulus, after which this stimulus and a second, novel cue were paired with food. Lower rates of conditioned responding were observed to the preexposed stimulus across the 3 experiments, indicative of latent inhibition. The degree to which animals used these cues to time the occurrence of food delivery was also examined. Paradoxically, the response slopes—indicating the rate of increase in responding over the course of the conditioned stimulus—were greater for the preexposed than for the novel cues, consistent with the suggestion that the preexposed stimulus exerted greater temporal control. Moreover, this was the case irrespective of whether the duration of the cue during preexposure differed from that during conditioning. These results suggest that although conditioned stimulus preexposure retards conditioning, it may enhance timing. The findings are discussed in terms of current models of conditioning and timing.
Highlights
In 3 experiments, rats were given nonreinforced preexposure to an auditory stimulus, after which this stimulus and a second, novel cue were paired with food
If in Group Different the change between experiencing many stimulus durations during the preexposure phase to just one during conditioning constituted such a context change, this would have reduced the magnitude of latent inhibition observed
Previous studies have reported that this factor has little effect on latent inhibition (Ayres et al, 1992), they used only fixed duration stimuli, and so the result we observed could be related to the fact that the preexposed cue in Group Different was variable
Summary
In 3 experiments, rats were given nonreinforced preexposure to an auditory stimulus, after which this stimulus and a second, novel cue were paired with food. The response slopes—indicating the rate of increase in responding over the course of the conditioned stimulus—were greater for the preexposed than for the novel cues, consistent with the suggestion that the preexposed stimulus exerted greater temporal control. This was the case irrespective of whether the duration of the cue during preexposure differed from that during conditioning. Conditioning—learning that an environmental cue (conditioned stimulus, or CS) reliably signals an outcome (an unconditioned stimulus or US, often of motivational value)—is found across the animal kingdom It is indicated by an elevation of conditioned responding during CS presentation, indicating increased anticipation of the US.
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