ABSTRACT
Classical conditioning is a type of basic associative learning in which a stimulus that is previously neutral to the animal or person comes to elicit a response that another stimulus naturally elicits. Humans have an innate liking of sweet and salty tastes. The sweet taste is associated with energy and nutrient-dense foods, and the salty taste is associated with foods that help maintain fluid and sodium balance. It is important to note that flavor-flavor associative learning can also result in conditioned aversions. Although flavor-nutrient associative learning occurs in sated rats, the results are more robust when the rats are food deprived. It seems likely that eating behavior is largely attributed to learning to anticipate and prevent future disruptions to physiological homeostasis. The amygdala, a brain region associated with various motivated and emotional behaviors, including fearful and aggressive responses, plays an important role in the formation of learned taste aversions.
