Facilitation based on inhibition

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted using an autoshaping procedure in pigeons to examine the conditions under which facilitation develops to B in an A- IBA+ paradigm. When B is a diffuse stimulus and A is a localized keylight, this paradigm results in B's facilitating pecking at A. Prior inhibitory conditioning of A promoted the development of this facilitation more successfully than did prior excitatory or control treatment of A. These results suggest that facilitation develops especially well when an inhibitory stimulus is reinforced in the presence of the diffuse B. That outcome is consistent with the view that facilitation involves the removal of inhibition. © 1988 Psychonomic Society, Inc.