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Is propositional learning necessary for human autonomic classical conditioning?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2009

Michael E. Dawson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA [email protected]://college.usc.edu/labs/dawson/home/index.cfm
Anne M. Schell
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA [email protected]://departments.oxy.edu/psych/index.html

Abstract

Additional support is presented for the necessity of awareness of the CS-US relation in human autonomic conditioning. However, possible limitations and exceptions regarding this general rule are discussed. Limitations include the lack of relationship between conditioned response (CR) strength and degree of awareness, and an important exception may be the finding of conditioning with backwardly masked CSs of a biologically prepared nature.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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