Abstract
Sprague-Dawley-derived rats were sequentially conditioned to avoid both anise- and saccharin-flavored solutions with counterbalanced orders of flavor exposures prior to cyclophosphamide-induced illness. The amounts of saccharin and anise solutions consumed during separate postconditioning single-bottle tests were correlated to determine if aversion strength was consistent across flavors. The saccharin-anise sequence revealed a positive and significant correlation, supporting the hypothesis that conditioned flavor aversions are modulated by some intrasubject factor or factors, a tendency designated as taste aversion proneness. However, a correlational coefficient of marginal significance was obtained from the anise-saccharin sequence, leaving unanswered questions concerning the salience and generality of taste aversion proneness. Despite this limitation, taste aversion proneness is viewed as having important applied implications for aversion therapy approaches to the treatment of human alcoholism.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference Notes
Riley, A. L., Richard, K. D., & Sickel, J. L. Conditioned taste aversions: A bibliography. Printout of a computerized bibliography as of September 1981.
Elkins, R. L. Differential learning of illness-induced taste aversions and shock-motivated environmental avoidances by rats selectively bred for taste aversion proneness or resistance to taste aversion acquisition. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, New Orleans, 1982.
References
Baker, T., & Cannon, D. S. Taste aversion therapy with alcoholics: Techniques and evidence of a conditioned response. Behavior Research and Therapy, 1979, 17, 229–242.
Barker, L. M., Suarez, E. M., & Gray, D. Backward conditioning of taste aversions in rats using cyclophosphamide as the US. Physiological Psychology, 1974, 2, 117–119.
Bernstein, I. L. Learned taste aversions in children receiving chemotherapy. Science, 1978, 200, 1302–1303.
Elkins, R. L. Individual differences in bait shyness: Effects of drug dose and measurement technique. Psychological Record, 1973, 23, 349–358.
Elkins, R. L. Conditioned flavor aversions to familiar tap water in rats: An adjustment with implications for aversion therapy treatment of alcoholism and obesity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1974, 83, 411–417.
Elkins, R. L. Aversion therapy for alcoholics: Chemical, electrical or verbal-imaginary. International Journal of the Addictions, 1975, 10, 257–309.
Elkins, R. L. Covert sensitization treatment of alcoholism: Contributions of successful conditioning to subsequent abstinence maintenance. Addictive Behaviors, 1980, 5, 67–89.
Etscorn, F., & Stephens, R. Establishment of conditioned taste aversions with a 24-hour CS-US interval. Physiological Psychology, 1973, 1, 251–253.
Garb, J. L., & Stunkard, A. J. Taste aversions in man. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1974, 131, 1204–1207.
Garcia, J. The faddy rat and us. New Scientist and Science Journal, February 1971, pp. 254-256.
Garcia, J., Ervin, F., & Koelling, R. Bait-shyness: A test for toxicity with N = 2. Psychonomic Science, 1967, 7, 245–246.
Horowitz, G. P., & Whitney, G. Alcohol-induced conditioned aversion: Genotypic specificity in mice (Mus musculus). Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1975, 89, 340–346.
Lemere, F., & Voegtlin, W. L. An evaluation of the aversion treatment of alcoholism. Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 1950, 11, 199–204.
McNemar, Q. Psychological statistics. New York: Wiley, 1962.
Riley, A. L., & Clarke, C. M. Conditioned taste aversions: A bibliography. In L. M. Barker, M. R. Best, & M. Domjan (Eds.), Learning mechanisms in food selection. Waco, Tex: Baylor University Press, 1977.
Seligman, M. E. P. On the generality of the laws of learning. Psychological Review, 1970, 77, 406–418.
Siegel, S. Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956.
Voegtlin, W. L. Conditioned reflex therapy of chronic alcoholism. Ten years’ experience with the method. Rocky Mountain Medical Journal, 1947, 44, 807–812.
Vogel, M. D. The relation of personality factors to GSR conditioning of alcoholics: An exploratory study. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 1960, 14, 275–280.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elkins, R.L., Hobbs, S.H. Taste aversion proneness: A modulator of conditioned consummatory aversions in rats. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 20, 257–260 (1982). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334833
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334833