TRANSFER OF INSTRUMENTAL CONTROL MEDIATED BY A DEVALUED OUTCOME

In three instrumental learning experiments, rat subjects were used to explore transfer of an instrumental discriminative stimulus to a new response. The stimulus increased the likelihood of that response to the degree that the stimulus and response had a history of association with the same outcome. Moreover, devaluation of the outcome by pairing with lithium chloride had no detrimental effects on its ability to mediate transfer to a new response. This result helps one choose among various accounts of transfer.