Effect of changing the unconditioned stimulus on appetitive blocking

Abstract

In four experiments we examined the effects of changing the unconditioned stimulus (US) on appetitive blocking. In Experiments 1A, 1B, and 2 we established that substituting food for water, or water for food, in the compound stage did not attenuate blocking relative to groups that received the same US throughout conditioning. Experiment 3 showed that satiation with the US used prior to compound conditioning with a different US does not affect blocking. Experiment 4 revealed that changing the location of US delivery, as well as the quality of the US, also leaves blocking unaffected. It is suggested that these results demonstrate that blocking occurs, provided that there is no change in the affective properties of the US.