Dissociation (Psychology)

To investigate dissociated (state dependent) learning
of a classically conditioned heart rate response, 24 rats
were trained either normally or under cortical spreading
depression (CSD). Testing in extinction for experimentals
was carried out over two days with Ss experiencing a reversal
of state (i.e., depressed or non-depressed) in the first
extinction and then returned to the learning state on the
second extinction. Results indicated that all groups learned
in a comparable fashion. Experimental groups demonstrated no
retention of the learned response on the first extinction,
but extinguished normally on the second extinction when Ss
were returned to the cortical state present during training.
These results are consistent with an explanation of symmetrical
dissociation. Control ~s which experienced the same
state over all days demonstrated a predicted lack of dissociation.
The theory of subcortical state specific retrieval
was proposed to account for these data as well as results of
studies reporting dissociation with other agents to relate
dissociation phenomena to a single underlying process.