Counterconditioning of Conditioned Suppression in Rats

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Abstract
Rats were trained to suppress lever-pressing for food during a 1-min. tone CS followed by shock on 5 of 10 trials per session. Six counter-conditioning procedures were then carried our: (1) Regular Extinction; (2) Interference, in which extra food was delivered during the CS; (3) Toleration, in which a series of tones was employed starting at the lowest frequency and progressing to the original CS; (4) Toleration + Interference, a combination of the above procedures; (5) Flooding, in which a single 10-min. CS presenration was given each session; and (6) Flooding + Interference. Only Toleration + Interference significantly reduced the number of trials to a no-suppression criterion as compared with Regular Extinction. With respect to reducing the total amount of suppression during the counterconditioning period, Toleration + Interference was the most effective, followed in order by Toleration, Flooding, Interference, and Regular Extinction.

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