The combined effects of dosage level and CS-UCS interval on the formation of one-trial poison-based aversions

Andrews, Emir Anne (1975) The combined effects of dosage level and CS-UCS interval on the formation of one-trial poison-based aversions. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The main concern of the present research was to study the combined effects of UCS strength and CS - UCS delay on poison-based aversions using intubated saline as the UCS. One hundred and sixty male albino rats were used in a 4 X 5 (Concentration x Delay) factorial design experiment. Saline concentrations were 0.9%, 2.7%, 8.1% and 12.15% (w/v), while CS- UCS delays were 0.5, 1.5, 4.5, 13.5 and 24.0 hr. Each animal was intubated with one saline concentration at one delay following presentation of 0.5% (w/v) sodium saccharin. All Ss were 24 hr. water-deprived throughout the experiment except during the three recovery days following intubation. -- The results showed that all three experimental saline concentrations were effective (compared to isotonic saline control groups) in producing aversions at the three shortest CS - UCS delays on the first post-training preference test day. These aversions were of varying strengths and they extinguished at different rates. For example, aversions with the 12.15% solution were the strongest, those with the 8.1% solution the next strongest and those with the 2.7% solution the weakest. Extinction, measured in terms of the amount consumed on five successive test days, followed a similar pattern with the 12.15% groups extinguishing slowest and the 2.7% groups fastest. Gradients of aversions related to the CS - UCS interval were not quite so orderly in that the 0.5, 1.5 and 4.5 hr. groups all showed approximately the same level of aversion on the first test day. Moreover, no delay longer than 4.5 hr. led to a significant aversion at any of the saline concentrations used.

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