Role of novelty in the aversion for increasingly concentrated saccharin solutions

In Experiment 1, the role of novelty in the aversion response to increasingly concentrated flavored solutions was determined by repeatedly testing independent groups with 0.15, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% saccharin. Initially, intakes quickly declined with increasing saccharin concentrations. However, animals drank more as they gained familiarity with the saccharin flavors, and their aversion to the more concentrated solutions became considerably attenuated. In Experiment 2, each animal was tested with 0.15, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% saccharin in an irregular order following training with one of the saccharin solutions. Animals extensively familiarized with the high saccharin concentrations prior to the test sessions showed much less aversion to these solutions than animals for which the high saccharin concentrations were novel. These results demonstrate that the aversion response to increasingly concentrated flavored solutions is in part a function of the relative novelty of the flavors, and suggest that adequate control of relative novelty is necessary in studies of other variables regulating intake.