Augmentation of taste conditioning by a preconditioned odor.
Five experiments explored facilitated taste-aversion conditioning (odor-mediated taste augmentation), using rats that experienced odor (A) and taste (X) in an A+/AX+ design. Augmentation occurred when the stimuli were presented simultaneously during AX+ conditioning, and significantly weaker conditioning occurred after a sequential presentation (Experiment 1). Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that augmented conditioning decreased if the odor aversion was reduced through preexposure or extinction following A+ conditioning. A second-order conditioning explanation was not supported by the results of Experiment 4. Experiment 5 showed that extinction of the odor aversion after AX+ conditioning did not alter the strength of the augmented taste aversion. Odor-mediated taste augmentation is similar to potentiation, in which odor and taste cues operate in a synergistic, not competitive, manner.
Batsell
W R
WR
Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, USA. rbatsell@kzoo.edu
Batson
J D
JD
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D004326:Drinking; D006801:Humans; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D051381:Rats; D012903:Smell; D013649:Taste
D018021:Lithium Chloride