Abstract
It was demonstrated that an odor presented to rats in a distinctive environment can interfere with toxicosis-based conditioning to the environmental cues. Rats poisoned when they drank unflavored water in a black compartment odorized with oil of eucalyptus exhibited no suppression of water intake when they were subsequently tested in the same compartment minus the odor. In contrast, rats poisoned in the same compartment minus the odor later exhibited reduced water consumption in that environment. Oil of eucalyptus proved to be as effective an overshadowing stimulus as a taste cue (a 1.5% NaCl solution).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Archer, T., Sjöden, P., Nilsson, L., &Carter, N. Exteroceptive context in taste-aversion conditioning and extinction: Odour, cage, and bottle stimuli.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1980,32, 197–214.
Best, P. J., Best, M. R., &Henggeler, S. The contribution of environmental non-ingestive cues in conditioning with aversive internal consequences. In L. M. Barker, M. R. Best, & M. Domjan (Eds.),Learning mechanisms in food selection. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 1977.
Best, P. J., Best, M. R., &Mickley, G. A. Conditioned aversion to distinct environmental stimuli resulting from gastrointestinal distress.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1973,85, 250–257.
Carroll, M. E., Dinc, H. I., Levy, C. J., &Smith, J. C. Demonstrations of neophobia and enhanced neophobia in the albino rat.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1975,89, 457–467.
Domjan, M. Attenuation and enhancement of neophobia for edible substances. In L. M. Barker, M. R. Best, & M. Domjan (Eds.),Learning mechanisms in food selection. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 1977.
Domjan, M. Ingestional aversion learning: Unique and general processes. In J. S. Rosenblatt, R. A. Hinde, C. Beer, & M. Busnel (Eds.),Advances in the study of behavior (Vol. 11). New York: Academic Press, 1980.
Galef, B. G., Jr., &Dalrymple, A. J. Toxicosis-based aversions to visual cues in rats: A test of the Testa and Ternes hypothesis.Animal Learning & Behavior, 1981,9, 332–334.
Galef, B. G., Jr., &Osborne, B. Novel taste facilitation of the association of visual cues with toxicosis in rats.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1978,92, 907–916.
Garcia, J., Hankins, W. G., &Coil, J. D. Koalas, men, and other conditioned gastronomes. In N. W. Milgram, L. Krames, & T. M. Alloway (Eds.),Food aversion learning. New York: Plenum Press, 1977.
Garcia, J., McGowan, B. K., &Green, K. F. Biological constraints on conditioning. In A. H. Black & W. F. Prokasy (Eds.),Classical conditioning II: Current research and theory. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1972.
Hankins, W. G., Garcia, J., &Rusiniak, K. W. Dissociation of odor and taste in bait shyness.Behavioral Biology, 1973,8, 407–419.
Nachman, M., Rauschenberger, J., &Ashe, J. H. Stimulus characteristics in food aversion learning. In N. W. Milgram, L. Krames, & T. M. Alloway (Eds.),Food aversion learning. New York: Plenum Press, 1977.
Palmerino, C. C., Rusiniak, K. W., &Garcia, J. Flavorillness aversions: The roles of odor and taste in memory for poison.Science, 1980,208, 753–755.
Revusky, S. H., &Garcia, J. Learned associations over long delays. In G. H. Bower & J. T. Spence (Eds.),Psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 4). New York: Academic Press, 1970.
Rusiniak, K. W., Hankins, W. G., Garcia, J., &Brett, L. P. Flavor-illness aversions: Potentiation of odor by taste in rats.Behavioral and Neural Biology, 1979,25, 1–17.
Taukulis, H. K. Odor aversions produced over long CS-US delays.Behavioral Biology, 1974,10, 505–510.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported, in part, by Grant A7478 from The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taukulis, H., George, S.S. Overshadowing of environmental cues by an odor in toxicosis-based conditioning in rats. Animal Learning & Behavior 10, 288–292 (1982). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03213712
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03213712