Association between the elements of a bivalent compound stimulus

Christopher L. Cunningham

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Evidence that an association forms between the elements of a bivalent compound stimulus during inhibitory training was provided in 4 experiments with 76 male albino rats in a conditioned suppression task. This association occurred both in a conditioned inhibition paradigm (Exps I and II), and in an extinction-inhibition paradigm (Exps III and IV). The within-compound association appeared to be bidirectional inasmuch as excitatory changes in the value of either component affected responding to the associated component. After inhibitory training in Exps III, pairings of the inhibitory stimulus with shock increased suppression to the associated excitatory stimulus. In Exp IV, additional pairings of the excitatory stimulus with shock after inhibitory training increased suppression to the associated inhibitory stimulus. These studies add to a growing body of evidence on within-compound associations and encourage the development of a conceptual framework that provides an integrated description of within-compound and stimulus-reinforcer learning. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)425-436
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes
Volume7
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1981

Keywords

  • changes in components of bivalent compound stimulus, conditioned suppression, male rats

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

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