Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2026

Appetitive Associative Olfactory Learning in Drosophila Larvae
Published on: February 18, 2013
Acquired equivalence of flavour cues with a common antecedent in rats
Kosuke Sawa1, Sadahiko Nakajima
1Department of Psychology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Hyogo, 662-8501, Nishinomiya, Japan
Abstract:
Equivalence of flavour cues, each of which had been paired with a common antecedent, was demonstrated with rats in a three-stage design. In the first stage, a group of thirsty rats were given each of two target flavour cues after a common antecedent flavour (Xright arrowA and Xright arrowB), while a second group of rats were given A and B after differential antecedent flavours (Xright arrowA and Yright arrowB). Another group of rats was allowed to drink A and B after familiar tap water. In the second stage, aversion to A was established by a lithium chloride injection after drinking A. The acquired equivalence effect was verified in the third stage by strong aversion to B in the group trained with the common antecedent compared with the remaining two groups. The representation-mediation, rather than response-mediation, hypothesis seems to fit the backward acquired equivalence effect obtained here.
Related Concept Videos
Gustation
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs salivated...
Principles of Classical Conditioning
During the...
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...
Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single exposure...
Instinctive Drift

