On inferring selective association: Methodological considerations |
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Authors: | Daniel Linwick Jeff Patterson J Bruce Overmier |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Elliott Hall, 75 E. River Road, 55455, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Abstract: | The theoretically appropriate means for demonstrating selective association are discussed and shown to be empirically necessary. Following the acquisition of an unsignaled instrumental avoidance baseline, dogs received either CS-contingent shocks (CS+) or random, independent CS/shock presentations. The CS was either a tone or a flashing light. When the CSs were subsequently presented during avoidance responding, only the tone-CS+ group showed absolute facilitation of response rate. However, both tone- and light-CS+ groups showed facilitation relative to their respective random controls due to the nonassociative inhibitory effects of the light. A bidirectionally sensitive dependent variable enabled the detection of this pattern of effects. Thus, a demonstration of selective association requires (1) appropriate controls for nonassociative effects and (2) selection of a dependent measure that is sensitive to both excitatory and inhibitory influences. |
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