Mallory and Joan both became sick after sharing a dish at Joan's favorite restaurant. This was Mallory's first time eating the dish, but Joan had eaten it dozens of times. Mallory developed a conditioned taste aversion to the food. Joan did not. Which of the following terms is the most likely explanation for why Joan didn't develop a conditioned taste aversion?
A) US-pre-exposure effect
B) Habituation
C) CS-pre-exposure effect
D) Latent inhibition

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Latent inhibition explains why Joan didn't develop a conditioned taste aversion. It refers to the phenomenon where a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning (as a signal or conditioned stimulus) than a new stimulus. Since Joan had eaten the dish many times without issue, her familiarity with it likely prevented the development of a taste aversion, unlike Mallory, who was trying it for the first time and easily associated the sickness with the new food.

Mallory and Joan Both Became Sick After Sharing a Dish