Contextual control over flavour avoidance and flavour aversion by visual cues

• Main Author: Brown, Adam R., 1977-
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Psychology
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Aversive stimuli; Avoidance (Psychology); Context effects (Psychology); Rats > Psychology; Visual perception > Testing; Newfoundland studies; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/36421

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2009. Psychology Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-51) Eight rats were trained to consume (or withhold consumption of) a saccharine flavoured solution in a discrimination task. On Safe days, water deprived rats were placed in one context (either white or black box) for 20 min. During the first 10 min fluid was absent. During the second 10 min rats were given access to a saccharine solution through a hole in either the long or short wall of the test box. Immediately following this trial, rats were injected with saline and placed back into their home cage. Danger days consisted of the same rat being placed in the opposite colour context with the spout placed through the hole that was not used on the Safe day. Rats were injected with LiCl after the 20 min Danger trial. The location of the saccharine was fixed on Safe and Danger days. Both amount of saccharine, and taste reactivity responses were measured in parallel for each trial. Rats drank less saccharine on Danger days relative to Safe days and these changes in fluid consumption were correlated with aversive and appetitive behavioural changes. The aversive and appetitive behavioural changes occurred in anticipation of fluid delivery. Hole-poking behaviour revealed that animals anticipate fluid delivery on Safe days, but do not show anticipatory hole-poking on Danger days. A retention test 25 days later revealed that rats remembered the discrimination, with levels of fluid consumption and behavioural measures remaining intact. These findings indicate that conditional control of fluid consumption observed during discrimination training mirrors aversive and appetitive responses. These findings suggest that environmental cues can gain control over anticipatory nausea and may prove helpful in the control of nausea in clinical settings.