The effect of rotation on the learning of taste aversions

Abstract

Two rats were presented a distinctively flavored liquid while enclosed in an experimental chamber rotating at either 12 or 23 rpm. Over the course of the experiment, both rats developed a strong aversion to the liquid. The aversion was shown by failure to drink the liquid when it was offered in a nonrotating experimental chamber and by a reversal of preference for the liquid as compared to water. In this respect, the aversive properties of rotation are similar to the aversive properties of illness-producing agents, such as chemical toxins or X-rays, and are different from the aversive properties of electric shock. © 1973, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.