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Abstract

In three experiments, rats in group I (for intermixed) were given non-reinforced exposure to two compound stimuli, AX and BX, where A and B represent different auditory cues, and X represents a visual cue. AX and BX were presented in alternation. Group B (blocked) received similar exposure except that subjects experienced a block of AX trials and then a block of BX trials. Subsequent shock reinforcement of A was found to endow B with inhibitory strength in group I, as assessed by retardation (Experiments 1 and 2) and summation tests (Experiment 3). This outcome confirms and extends the results reported by Espinet, Iraola, Bennett, and Mackintosh (1995) and constitutes a further example of mediated learning in which the associative strength of a stimulus is found to be modified as a consequence of training given to some other event with which that stimulus is associated.

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Representation-mediated Inhibitory Learning in the Conditioned-suppression Procedure

Abstract

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