Spatially Located Visual CS Effects on Conditioned Shuttlebox Avoidance in Goldfish (Carassius Auratus): Further Analysis

Dominic Zerbolio, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Linda Wickstra

Abstract

The present study investigates shuttlebox avoidance acquisition in goldfish as a function of type of stimulus change (onset of offset of light) and CS location (CS occurring on the same, opposite, or both sides relative to the fish). For the onset conditions, the CS-same produced superior acquisition to the CS-both location, which in turn was superior to the CS-opposite condition. For the offset conditions, the three CS locations yielded comparable avoidance rates. These data indicate that, in addition to activation by the stimulus change, when the CS is the onset of a localized light, aversive properties are conditioned to the CS which facilitate acquisition for the CS-same location and depress acquisition for the CS-opposite location. The offset data indicate that these directional properties are not conditioned to a localized area of darkness.