Parallel acquisition of awareness and trace eyeblink classical conditioning.

Full Abstract

Trace eyeblink conditioning (with a trace interval >/=500 msec) depends on the integrity of the hippocampus and requires that participants develop awareness of the stimulus contingencies (i.e., awareness that the conditioned stimulus [CS] predicts the unconditioned stimulus [US]). Previous investigations of the relationship between trace eyeblink conditioning and awareness of the stimulus contingencies have manipulated awareness or have assessed awareness at fixed intervals during and after the conditioning session. In this study, we tracked the development of knowledge about the stimulus contingencies trial by trial by asking participants to try to predict either the onset of the US or the onset of their eyeblinks during differential trace eyeblink conditioning. Asking participants to predict their eyeblinks inhibited both the acquisition of awareness and eyeblink conditioning. In contrast, asking participants to predict the onset of the US promoted awareness and facilitated conditioning. Acquisition of knowledge about the stimulus contingencies and acquisition of differential trace eyeblink conditioning developed approximately in parallel (i.e., concurrently).

Author information

Author/s: Manns, J R (JR); Clark, R E (RE); Squire, L R (LR);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, California 92039, USA.

Grants: MH24600 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) (Learn Mem), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2000 Sep-Oct; vol 7 (issue 5) : pp 267-72

Dates: Created 2000/11/06; Completed 2000/11/21; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 11040257, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

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