Blocked and test-stimulus exposure effects in perceptual learning re-examined

Three experiments re-examined the effects of blocked or alternated exposure to the conditioning and test stimuli and the effect of simple exposure to the test stimulus, on stimulus generalization. In all experiments rats received conditioning where a compound flavor, AX, was paired with LiCl-induced illness. All rats were tested for generalization with another flavor, BX. In Experiment 1, rats that received alternating exposure to the two flavor compounds, AX and BX, prior to conditioning showed less generalization to BX than rats that received no exposure. Exposure to BX or AX alone was also somewhat effective in reducing generalization. In Experiment 2 blocked exposure to AX and BX prior to conditioning was effective in reducing generalization, as was alternated exposure, and extended exposure to BX was more effective than the other procedures. In Experiment 3, exposure to X alone prior to conditioning produced generalization equal to that produced by alternated or blocked exposure and replicated the effect of extended exposure to BX found in the previous experiment. The relevance of the results to the theories proposed by McLaren and Macintosh [Anim. Learn. Behav. 28 (2000) 211] and Hall [Q. J. Exp. Psychol. B 56 (2003) 43] is discussed.