Conditioning the middle ear reflex at sensation levels below reflex threshold: air jet and electrical stimulation

An ABAB functional analysis, conditioning and generalization, design was used in 3 experiments (2 were formal studies and 1 was empirical in nature) to investigate the conditionability of the middle ear reflex. The conditioned stimuli were subreflex threshold pure tones of various frequencies and intensities. The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) was an auricular air jet to the contralateral ear in the first experiment and cutaneous electrical stimulation to the ipsolateral, probe ear in the last 2 experiments. Reflexes were monitored by an otoadmittance meter, storage oscilloscope, and strip chart recorder. In the first experiment (air jet UCS), no subjects met the conditioning criterion within the maximum presentation of 400 paired trials, despite pilot evidence which indicated conditioning was feasible. In the second experiment (electrical stimulation UCS), 2 subjects met conditioning criterion; however, only one subject reconditioned and demonstrated partial generalization to other conditioned stimuli. In the third experiment (electrical stimulation UCS), one of 3 subjects who had previously been unconditionable with the air jet UCS met conditioning and reconditioning criterion and demonstrated partial generalization. Results indicate that the middle ear reflex can be conditioned to be elicited by subreflex threshold pure tones, however, results are limited.