Novelty and temporal contiguity in taste aversion learning: Within-subjects conditioning effects

Abstract

Rats (N= 144) received preexposure to 12% sucrose,.9% saline, or tap water prior to aversion training in which they all received presentation of saline and sucrose in series before an intraperitoneal injection of.15-M lithium chloride. Between-groups comparisons of aversion effects, measured with a two-bottle choice procedure (i.e., sucrose or saline vs. tap water), showed that preexposure to sucrose or to saline eradicated aversion to the familiarized flavor but did not affect aversion to the novel flavor. Aversion effects to the novel flavor following sucrose or saline preexposure were highly similar to those that occurred to novel sucrose and saline flavors following tap water preexposure. Order of flavor presentation in aversion training did not affect the reliable demonstration of differential aversion effects to novel and familiarized taste cues.