Acquisition of superexcitatory properties by an irrelevant background stimulus

Williams, Douglas A.; Mehta, Rick; Poworoznyk, Tracy M.; Orihel, Jane S.; George, David N.; Pearce, John M.

Abstract

Six appetitive conditioning experiments with rats demonstrated that an irrelevant X accompanying a negative patterning discrimination (XA+, XB+, XAB-) acquires extraordinarily high levels of conditioned excitation. Responding to X was similar to that evoked by 2 excitors in combination (Experiment 1) and was greater than responding to a separately reinforced Y (Experiments 2-5). Superexcitatory properties were not acquired by X in the nonpatterning discriminations of Experiments 2-4. Experiment 5 found that A and B, if anything, were weakly excitatory. Making them more strongly excitatory after conditioning did not Interfere with retention of the original discrimination (Experiment 6). Results support a counterintuitive prediction of associative theories that, under carefully arranged conditions, irrelevant stimuli may acquire superexcitatory properties.

Citation

Williams, D. A., Mehta, R., Poworoznyk, T. M., Orihel, J. S., George, D. N., & Pearce, J. M. (2002). Acquisition of superexcitatory properties by an irrelevant background stimulus. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 28(3), 284-297. https://doi.org/10.1037//0097-7403.28.3.284

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2002-07
• Journal: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PROCESSES
• Print ISSN: 0097-7403
• Electronic ISSN: 0097-7403
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 284-297
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0097-7403.28.3.284
• Keywords: Causality; Judgments; Discrimination
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/405245
• Publisher URL: http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0097-7403.28.3.284