PSYC23H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Adrenal Cortex, Electroencephalography, Model Organism
Document Summary
A specific neutral odor was presented to newborns while the pups were stroked with an artist"s brush for 5 to 15 minutes. The odor was later applied to shavings under mesh in a two-compartment box. The neonates then turned preferentially to that odor and remained on the mesh over the scented compartment for the duration of testing. Control subjects were presented with the same stimuli but separated in time. After those 10 days, such associative pairing results in avoidance of the odor. The unexpected early aversive-preference learning has an obvious parallel in the strong attachments frequently observed in abused human infants. For example, we found that providing one of these components, warmth, to a separated pup prevented the slow decline in the pups" general activity level (a response similar to bowlby"s. Despair"" phase), but this had no effect on responses in other systems.
