ACQUIRED RELATIONAL EQUIVALENCE - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NATURE OF ASSOCIATIVE STRUCTURES

In 2 experiments, rats received discrimination training in which separ ate presentations of A and B signaled a common pair of relationships o r associations (X --> food and Y --> no food), whereas presentations o f C and D signaled a different pair of relationships (X --> no food an d Y --> food). To assess the nature of the associative structures acqu ired during this training, rats then received 2 types of revaluation p rocedure: In Experiment 1, A was paired with shock and C was not. In E xperiment 2, the relationships that A and B had previously signaled (X --> food and Y --> no food) were paired with shock,whereas those that C and D had signaled (Y --> food and X --> no food) were not. After b oth types of revaluation treatment, rats showed greater generalized co nditioned suppression in the presence of B than D. These results indic ate that A, B, C, and D come to evoke memories of the relationships or associations that they have signaled.