Differentiation of Conditioned and Orienting Response Components in Electrodermal Conditioning

Different criteria for orienting and conditioned responses (ORs and CRs) are discussed, and it is proposed that neither latency nor differences between conditioning and sensitization treatments provide adequate solutions to the problem. An additional criterion is proposed based on differences in the slopes of the generalization gradients, i.e. ORs should show rising and CRs falling generalization gradients with increased stimulus change. This criterion was tested for conditioning and sensitization groups in paradigms involving generalization along pitch and temporal continua. It was found that the response to the onset of the conditional stimulus (the CS response) fulfilled the proposed criteria for an OR, while responses in the interval of the unconditioned response on trials where the unconditional stimulus (US) was omitted (post‐US responses) satisfied the criteria for an OR early in training and the criteria for a CR later in training. For the response preceding US (the pre‐US response) no definite conclusion was reached, but the evidence could be interpreted to mean that both OR and CR components participated in that response too. The relationships between these response components and stages of sensory integration and response acquisition of conditioning are discussed.