Stimulus similarity as a determinant of Pavlovian conditioning.

Three experiments carried out second-order Pavlovian conditioning using either similar or dissimilar first- and second-order stimuli. Experiments 1 and 2 used rat subjects in a conditioned suppression and an appetitive conditioning preparation, respectively. Experiment 3 used pigeons in an auto-shaping procedure. All three experiments were designed to identify the effects of similarity upon conditioning as distinct from its effects upon sensitization or stimulus generalization. Each experiment found superior conditioning when similar stimuli were paired. Several theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.