The conditioning of the human fetus in utero.

“Utilizing a vibrotactile CS and a loud noise as US, it was possible to establish a CR in the human fetus in utero during the last 2 months of gestation. Some 15-20 paired stimulations were required to establish the response to the point at which one could anticipate 3 or 4 successive responses to CS alone, but additional practice made possible as many as 11 successive CRs. Experimental extinction, spontaneous recovery, and retention of the response over a 3 weeks interval were demonstrated, as well as a significant degree of agreement between direct records of fetal movements and maternal report of perception of fetal movement.” 16 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)