Familiarity-based stimulus generalization of conditioned suppression

Robinson, Jasper; Whitt, Emma; Jones, Peter M.

Abstract

We report that stimulus novelty/familiarity is able to modulate stimulus generalization and discuss the theoretical implications of novelty/familiarity coding. Rats in Skinner boxes received clicker → shock pairings before generalization testing to a tone. Before clicker training, different groups of rats received preexposure treatments designed to systematically modulate the clicker and the tone's novelty and familiarity. Rats whose preexposure matched novelty/familiarity (i.e., either both or neither clicker and tone were pre-exposed) showed enhanced suppression to the tone relative to rats whose preexposure mixed novelty/familiarity (i.e., only clicker or tone was pre-exposed). This was not the result of sensory preconditioning to clicker and tone.

Citation

Robinson, J., Whitt, E., & Jones, P. M. (2017). Familiarity-based stimulus generalization of conditioned suppression. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 43(2), 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000134

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 15, 2016
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 1, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition
• Print ISSN: 2329-8456
• Electronic ISSN: 2329-8464
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 159-170
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000134
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/854045
• Publisher URL: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/xan/43/2/159/
• Additional Information: This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.
• Contract Date: Jan 17, 2017