Cue interactions in flavor preference learning: a configural analysis.
Four experiments showed that the preference normally established to a neutral flavor cue that was paired with maltodextrin was attenuated when that cue was conditioned in compound with another flavor--overshadowing. Furthermore, two experiments showed that the preference for a neutral flavor conditioned as part of a compound was further attenuated if the other element in that compound was separately paired with the reinforcer--blocking. These results stand in contrast to a number of previous compound flavor preference conditioning experiments, which have not revealed reliable cue competition effects. These discrepant findings are discussed in terms of the effects of within-compound associations and a configural perspective on potentiation. Modeling of this configural perspective predicts that a compound of two separately trained cues will elicit a similar response to the individual cues themselves--absence of summation. Two experiments confirmed this prediction.
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom. dwyerdm@cardiff.ac.uk
Dominic M
DM
Dwyer
Mark
M
Haselgrove
Peter M
PM
Jones
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology
D005421:Flavoring Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides; C008315:maltodextrin