Context switch effects and Context Experience in Rats’ Conditioned Taste Aversion

Abstract

Context specificity of rats’ conditioned taste aversion as a function of context experience was assessed in two experiments. Rats received a single pairing between a flavor X and a LiCl injection in a distinctive context (context A) being subsequently tested either in the same context or in a different but equally familiar context (context B). Experiment 1 found that the context change attenuated aversion to X when contexts were new at the time of conditioning. No effect of context change was found when rats had experience with the contexts before conditioning. Experiment 2 found that consumption was lower in the context of conditioning than in the alternative context, regardless of whether the stimulus was conditioned or not, suggesting that contexts exert their control through direct context-outcome associations in this situation.