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Garcia and Koelling's (1966) Study on Taste Aversion
In a landmark 1966 study, Garcia and Koelling demonstrated biological constraints in classical conditioning. They exposed different groups of rats to either a specific flavor or to lights and sounds, and then induced illness. The results showed that the rats conditioned with the flavor learned to avoid it, but the rats conditioned with lights and sounds did not learn to avoid those stimuli. This experiment provided strong evidence that organisms are biologically prepared to associate certain stimuli, like taste and illness, over others.
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Ch.6 Learning - Psychology @ OpenStax
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Garcia and Koelling's (1966) Study on Taste Aversion
A researcher attempts to create a conditioned aversion in a group of pigeons, which are animals that primarily find food by sight. One subgroup of pigeons is given visually distinct blue food pellets, after which they are exposed to a substance that makes them nauseous. A second subgroup is exposed to a specific high-pitched tone, followed by the same nausea-inducing substance. The researcher observes that the first subgroup quickly learns to avoid the blue pellets, while the second subgroup shows little to no aversion to the high-pitched tone. Which statement provides the best evaluation of this experimental outcome?
A researcher is designing an experiment to condition a fear response in rats. The plan is to pair a specific stimulus with a mild, unpleasant electric shock. According to the principle that organisms are biologically prepared to form certain associations more readily than others, which of the following pairings would likely result in the most rapid and durable learning of the fear response?