title: Acquired equivalence of flavour cues with a common antecedent in rats.
abstract: Equivalence of flavour cues, each of which had been paired with a common antecedent, was demonstrated with rats in a three-stage design. In the first stage, a group of thirsty rats were given each of two target flavour cues after a common antecedent flavour (Xright arrowA and Xright arrowB), while a second group of rats were given A and B after differential antecedent flavours (Xright arrowA and Yright arrowB). Another group of rats was allowed to drink A and B after familiar tap water. In the second stage, aversion to A was established by a lithium chloride injection after drinking A. The acquired equivalence effect was verified in the third stage by strong aversion to B in the group trained with the common antecedent compared with the remaining two groups. The representation-mediation, rather than response-mediation, hypothesis seems to fit the backward acquired equivalence effect obtained here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Hyogo, 662-8501, Nishinomiya, Japan
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.forename: Sadahiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakajima