Salience modulation in serial preexposure: implications for perceptual learning.

In three experiments rats were given serial preexposure to two flavor stimuli. In Experiment 1, some animals were given exposure to AX followed by the presentation of BX, a forward schedule; the others were given backward preexposure (BX→AX). Conditioning and test trials with the A element showed that salience or effectiveness of A was better protected in the forward than in the backward condition.

Salience modulation and associative inhibition interaction: short but not long exposure to similar stimuli protects the salience of the unique elements.

In three experiments, rats were given preexposure to two similar flavour compounds, AX and BX. Following preexposure, conditioning trials took place in which AX was paired with an illness-induced unconditioned stimulus. Animals that were given short alternated preexposure to AX and BX, showed higher generalization of conditioned aversion to AX to a new compound, AN, than animals that were given blocked preexposure (short and long) and long alternated preexposure (Experiments 1 and 2); and showed less preference for A when they were given a choice between A and X (Experiment 3).