Conditioned discrimination in the blow fly, Phormia regina: Controls and bidirectional selection

Abstract

Previous behavior-genetic analyses of the blow fly, Phormia regina, using conditioned behavior have employed the Nelson procedure. Recent evidence suggests that measures of conditioning obtained with this procedure may be confounded with effects produced by nonassociative factors, base-level responsiveness, and a water-induced central excitatory state. Conditioned discrimination may be a way to avoid such confounds. Experiment 1 describes a taste discrimination procedure for conditioning P. regina, as well as the results of both a reversal and a randomized control to validate its effectiveness. Experiment 2 uses the conditioned discrimination procedure with an automatic stimulus-presentation apparatus to carry out bidirectional selective breeding for performance. Selection has produced two lines that differ significantly in conditioning performance, both from one another and from the foundation population. The results were not due to simple differences in base-level responsiveness. It is suggested that the conditioned discrimination procedure will prove useful in further behavior-genetic analyses of P regina. © 1984 Psychonomic Society, Inc.