Classical conditioning of proboscis extension in honeybees (Apis mellifera).

• DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.97.2.107
• Publication Date: 2006-06-09T10:50:19Z
• Authors: M. E. Bitterman; R. Menzel; Andrea Fietz; Sabine Schäfer
• Keywords: Stimulus (psychology); Proboscis; Latent inhibition

Extension of the proboscis was conditioned in restrained honeybees with odor as stimulus (CS) and sucrose solution--delivered to antenna (to elicit extension proboscis) then itself--as unconditioned (US). In a first series experiments, acquisition found be very rapid, both massed spaced trials; its associative basis established by differential conditioning an explicitly unpaired control procedure (which produced marked resistance subsequent paired training); extinction spontaneous recovery trials were demonstrated. experiments on nature US, eliminating component lower asymptotic level performance, whereas antennal without effect; reducing concentration from 20% 7% slowed but did not performance; second-order role omission contingency designed eliminate adventitious response-reinforcer contiguity have no adverse effect acquisition. analyze after training significant prior exposure either CS alone or US alone, although again substantial that shown due inhibition rather than inattention; facilitated presentations US. The relation between these results for those analogous vertebrates is considered.