TO WHAT DOES ORIENTING RESPONSE RESPOND

Forty‐eight Ss received 10 repetitive 1‐sec light presentations at either 5 or 25 foot candles (ft c), followed by a switch on Trial 11. After approximately 2 months the experiment was repeated. Of 34 Ss who correctly described the stimulus change on initial testing, only 18 gave a (GSR) OR. On retest, most Ss retained their characteristic response, but previously responsive 25 → 5 ft c. Ss became non‐responsive on Trial 11. There were no differences between OR‐responders and non‐responders to Trial 1 flash though responders subsequently took longer to habituate and made more ORs overall. There was no difference in base admittance (BAL) increase following initial onset of stimulation, but OR‐responders subsequently showed a continuing BAL rise while nonresponders returned to resting levels. The OR is not an automatic accompaniment to perceptible stimulus novelty. A 2‐stage process was hypothesized in triggering an OR, stressing the role of cognitive‐motivational variables. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved