Abstract
Independent groups of Ss received classical conditioning acquisition following 0, 5, 10, 25, or 50 preexposures to the conditioning stimuli in a backward-paired manner (the US preceding the CS). In both the conditioned suppression situation with rats and the eyelid conditioning situation with rabbits, backward preexposure retarded acquisition (in agreement with earlier findings). Furthermore, increasing backward-paired experience with the conditioning stimuli was associated with increasingly deleterious effects on acquisition performance. These results are contrary to suggestions that backward-conditioning-induced retardation of subsequent acquisition results only from extensive backward preexposures, with fewer such preexposures producing excitatory effects.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Gormezano, I. Classical conditioning. In J. B. Sidowski (Ed.), Experimental methods and instrumentation in psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966.
Heth, C. D., & Rescorla, R. A. Simultaneous and backward fear conditioning in the rat. Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1973, 82, 434–443.
Moskovitch, A., & LoLordo, V. M. Role of safety in the Pavlovian backward fear conditioning procedure. Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1968, 66, 673–678.
Siegel, S., & Domjan, M. Backward conditioning as an inhibitory procedure. Learning & Motivation, 1971, 2, 1–11.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by Grant APA-0298 from the National Research Council of Canada.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Siegel, S., Domjan, M. The inhibitory effect of backward conditioning as a function of the number of backward pairings. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 4, 122–124 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334216
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334216