Comparison and Contrast as a Mechanism of Perceptual Learning?

Abstract

In a series of flavour aversion experiments, rats received different schedules of pre-exposure to two compound flavours (AX and BX). Discrimination between them was assessed by establishing an aversion to AX and measuring generalization of this aversion to BX. Experiment 1 demonstrated that alternating pre-exposure to AX and BX resulted in less generalization than did blocked exposure, where animals received all exposure to AX before exposure to BX (or vice versa). This difference was not accompanied by any difference in the strength of the aversion conditioned to the common X element. Varying the interval between exposure to AX and BX in the alternating condition from a minute or two to several hours had no effect on generalization. However, Experiments 2 and 3 showed that when the interval between exposure to AX and that to BX was reduced to zero sec, the alternating schedule increased generalization between AX and BX. In this case, the increase in generalization was accompanied by an increase in the strength of the aversion conditioned to X.