Renewal to the Signal Value of an Unconditioned Stimulus

When conditioned stimulus (CS)–unconditioned stimulus (US) pairings are given in one context (Context A), and CS extinction is given in a different context (Context B), responding recovers when the CS is tested in Context A (so-called ABA renewal). In addition to ABA renewal, AAB renewal has also recently been shown (Bouton & Ricker, 1994). Using an appetitive conditioning preparation with rats, the present studies tested for ABA and AAB renewal to the signal value of a US. In four experiments, US signal value consistently showed ABA, but not AAB, renewal. Further, after acquisition, there was some evidence that a context change disrupted US signal value or that responding in extinction was less persistent with a context change. Implications for theories of renewal and the context specificity of conditioning are considered.