title: Analysis of the perceptual learning effect in flavour aversion learning: evidence for stimulus differentiation.
abstract: Rats received exposure to two compound flavours, AX and BX, where A and B were sucrose and saline and X was acid. For group intermixed (1), exposure consisted of alternating trials with AX and BX; group blocked (B) received a block of AX trials and a separate block of BX trials. Experiment 1 showed that generalization to BX after conditioning with AX was less profound in group 1 than in group B. Separate examination of the elements of the compound showed that the source of this difference lay in the strength acquired by the X element. X acquired less strength in group 1 than in group B (Experiments 1 and 2), whereas for the A element (Experiments 3 and 4) the reverse pattern was obtained. These results support the proposal that the perceptual learning effect (restricted generalization from AX to BX in group 1) depends on a process that enhances the effectiveness of unique stimulus elements (A and B) and reduces that of common elements (such as X).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mondragón
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste