Adaptation to the conditioning chamber in multi-session avoidance learning

Cross-modality contrast: Exteroceptive context habituation enhances taste neophobia and conditioned taste aversions

“…Similarly, a novel stimulus is more suitable as a conditioned stimulus than is a familiar stimulus (Dickinson & Mackintosh, 1978). Several examples can be found in the literature which demonstrate that prior habituation to environmental stimuli present during conditioning will facilitate the acquisition of a conditioned avoidance response (Grant & Young, 1971;Kurtz, Shafer, & Hardesty, 1966;Zerbolio, Reynierse, Weisman, & Denny, 1965). These are probably important conclusions to keep in mind when considering the conditioned and the unconditioned avoidance of novel stimuli.…”