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Effect of changing the unconditioned stimulus on appetitive blocking.
1Department of Psychology, University College, Cardiff, Great Britain.
Summary
Appetitive blocking, a learning phenomenon, persists even when the unconditioned stimulus (US) changes in type or location. This suggests blocking depends on the US
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Learning and memory
- Animal conditioning
Background:
- Blocking is a phenomenon in associative learning where prior conditioning to a stimulus prevents learning about a second stimulus when both are presented together.
- Appetitive blocking specifically involves rewards, such as food or water, as the unconditioned stimulus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of changes to the unconditioned stimulus (US) on the occurrence of appetitive blocking.
- To determine if altering the US quality, modality, or delivery context affects blocking.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted using associative learning paradigms.
- Appetitive blocking was established using food and water as unconditioned stimuli.
- The unconditioned stimulus was systematically altered during compound conditioning in terms of its type (food vs. water) and delivery location.
Main Results:
- Substituting food for water, or vice versa, in the compound conditioning stage did not reduce blocking.
- Satiation with the unconditioned stimulus prior to compound conditioning did not affect blocking.
- Changes in the location of unconditioned stimulus delivery also did not attenuate blocking.
Conclusions:
- Appetitive blocking is robust and not significantly affected by changes in the unconditioned stimulus' quality or delivery parameters.
- The findings suggest that blocking is maintained as long as the affective properties of the unconditioned stimulus remain consistent.