ABSTRACT
Contextual stimuli are often defined as exteroceptive stimuli within the experimental environment that are not purposely correlated with conditioned stimuli (CS) and unconditioned stimuli (US) presentations. The fact that learning about contextual stimuli occurs most readily during the CS presentation may be taken to indicate a further role for temporal contiguity but may likewise illustrate the importance of within-compound associations forming when the CS is presented. Indeed, Rescorla has recently reviewed a number of experiments in which the formation of within-compound associations between affectively neutral events is forcefully demonstrated. The context-dependent extinction effect attests to the fact that the animals learn about compartmental stimuli as well as odor, bottle, and taste stimuli on a taste-aversion conditioning trial. Recent reviewers seem to agree that most taste-aversion learning phenomena can be accounted for by principles of learning common to many forms of conditioning, and that no special principles are required.
