Effects of preexposure flavor concentration on conditioned aversion and neophobia.
In Experiment 1, 128 experimentally naive, water-deprived rats (Rattus norvegicus) received pretraining access to either 0.25 or 1.5% saccharin, distilled water, or 2.0% saline, followed either by a pairing of 0.25 or 1.5% saccharin with an intraperitoneal injection of 0.15 M lithium chloride (LiCl) or by a pairing of distilled water with LiCl. Preexposure to either saccharin concentration reliably reduced conditioned aversion effects to 0.25% saccharin, relative to that for preexposure to distilled water or saline. But only preexposure to 1.5% saccharin reduced aversion effects to that concentration. In Experiment 2, 48 naive, water-deprived rats received preexposure procedures as in Experiment 1. Afterwards, the rats were tested for neophobia to 0.25 or 1.5% saccharin. Neophobia was reliably greater to the 1.5% concentration. However, preexposure to either saccharin concentration obliterated evidence for neophobia to saccharin, relative to that following preexposure to distilled water or saline.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005795:Generalization, Stimulus; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002712:Chlorides; D008094:Lithium; D012439:Saccharin; D018021:Lithium Chloride