title: Reinforcer devaluation in palatability-based learned flavor preferences.
abstract: Rats exposed to simultaneous compounds of 1 neutral flavor with dilute (2%) sucrose and a 2nd flavor with dilute (2%) maltodextrin subsequently consumed both flavors in preference to a 3rd flavor that was never paired with a palatable taste. Brief training exposure under ad lib food and water minimized the post-ingestive effects of nutrients, emphasizing the contribution of palatability to these preferences. Devaluation of sucrose or maltodextrin by pairing with illness (Experiment 1) or sensory-specific satiety (Experiment 2) selectively reduced the preference for the flavor previously paired with the devalued reinforcer. Such reinforcer-specific devaluation effects suggest that palatability-based learned flavor preferences are under-pinned by a Pavlovian process whereby the cue flavor is associated with the taste of the concurrently consumed palatable reinforcer.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom. DwyerDM@cardiff.ac.uk
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dwyer
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000502:physiology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013395:Sucrose; C008315:maltodextrin