Absence of renewal effect in the negative contrast paradigm

LOPEZ SEAL, M. F.; KAMENETZKY, G.; MUSTACA, A. E.

Huerta grande, Córdoba.

Otro; I Reunión Conjunta de Neurociencias; 2009

Rats downshifted from 32% sucrose to 4% sucrose consume less of the 4% solution than rats in a control condition that experience 4% sucrose throughout. This negative consummatory contrast effect is also known to occur when the downshift occurs in a novel conext. We tested the following hypothesis: Animals that are subject to both a sucrose downshift and a novel context, and that then recover their consummatory behavior, are expected to show negative contrast again when they are returned to the original context. In Experiments 1 and 2, the return to the original context failed to renew the negative contrast. Experiment 3 showed that rats were able to discriminate between original and novel contexts, as extinction did cause a renewal effect on the consummatory behavior. These results suggest that, unlike extinction, negative contrast is not subject to renewal effects when the original context is reintroduced. Similarly, Norris, Daniel, & Papini (2008) found spontaneous recovery of consummatory behavior, but not of negative contrast.