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Psychological Phenomena

Latent Inhibition

Learning and Conditioning Phenomena

Latent inhibition is a phenomenon in learning in which a stimulus that has already become familiar through repeated, inconsequential exposure takes longer to acquire meaning as a signal, or conditioned stimulus, than a stimulus encountered for the first time. The term was coined by the researchers Robert Lubow and Ann Moore in 1973. The effect has been demonstrated across a wide range of species, from invertebrates to mammals, and is thought to serve an adaptive function by protecting an organism from forming unnecessary associations with stimuli that experience has already shown to be irrelevant.

Facts
Core Claim
A familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning as a signal or conditioned stimulus than a new stimulus. 1
First Described Year
1973 1
Classification
Type of Phenomenon
Behavioral Phenomenon 1
Connections

In Branch

Sources
1. Latent inhibition, Wikipedia
  • Lead, first sentence
    Latent inhibition (LI) is a technical term in classical conditioning, where a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning (as a signal or conditioned stimulus) than a new stimulus.
  • Lead, second sentence
    The term originated with Lubow and Moore in 1973.
  • lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
    Latent inhibition (LI) is a technical term in classical conditioning, where a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning (as a signal or conditioned stimulus) than a new stimulus.
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