Generalization of a conditioned inhibitor of response suppression in rats

Abstract

Following acquisition of conditioned suppression of barpresses to a visual conditiondd stimulus (CS), rats were subjected to a particular variety of differentiation training procedures. An auditory conditioned inhibitor (CI), which preceded and accompanied the CS on some trials, signaled that inescapable shock will not be given on that trial. When the CI acquired the capacity to attenuate markedly the suppressive effects of the CS presented within the CI + CS compound, the frequency dimension of the CI was varied during generalization tests. Reliable within-subjects gradients of barpress enhancement were obtained when tone test frequencies were presented alone. Frequency gradients obtained from CI variation in compound with the CS were rather flat and reflected some residual suppression of the on-going barpressing.