Robert Ader and colleagues fed rats saccharin water and injected them with an immunosuppressant. Later, when fed only saccharin water, the rats' bodies demonstrated an impaired immune response to a foreign substance. This demonstrates that there is __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This experiment by Robert Ader demonstrates classical conditioning applied to the immune system, showing that the rats' immune response could be conditioned to a neutral stimulus (saccharin water) when it was previously paired with an immunosuppressant. This illustrates a connection between psychological states (expectation or association in this case) and immune functioning, not just in rats but potentially in other animals, including humans.

Robert Ader and Colleagues Fed Rats Saccharin Water and Injected