Demonstration of a socially transmitted flavor aversion in rats? Kuan and Colwill (1997) revisited

In each of three experiments that differed only in procedural detail, obser ver rats interacted with pairs of conspecific demonstrators, one fed a coco a-flavored diet (Diet Coc) and the other a cinnamon-flavored diet (Diet Gin ). Immediately after both members of a pair of demonstrators had been fed, and 5 min before they interacted with an observer or observers, one of the demonstrators was made ill by intraperitoneal injection with lithium chlori de. After interacting with a pair of demonstrators for 15 min, each observe r was allowed to choose between Diet Cin and Diet Coc for 22 h. In all thre e experiments, observer rats consumed as much Diet Cin after interacting si multaneously with both an ill demonstrator that had eaten Diet Cin and a he althy demonstrator that had eaten Diet Coc as after interacting simultaneou sly with both a healthy demonstrator that had eaten Did Cin and an ill demo nstrator that had eaten Diet Coc. These results raise questions about the g enerality of Kuan and Colwill's (1997) demonstration of socially transmitte d flavor aversions in Norway rats.