Evaluation of informational control and preparatory response factors in classical aversive conditioning

Subjects performed in a differential eyelid conditioning paradigm with either airpuff or infraorbital shock as the UCS. The trial series included interpolated UCS-alone presentations, and subjects rated UCS aversiveness on all trials. Ratings of the airpuff, but not the shock UCS, were negatively correlated with the magnitude of anticipatory eyelid CRs, as predicted by preparatory response or law-of-effect models of classical conditioning. However, subjects showed no tendency to rate signaled (CS-UCS) trials as less aversive than unsignaled (UCS-alone) trials, and showed no significant preference for the signaled ucs. These results suggest that the operation of informational control and preparatory response factors is more complex than is assumed by available theories. Also, instrumental shaping and preparatory response mechanisms may not be involved in the acquisition of CRs.