Conditioned Discrimination in the Behavior-Genetic Analysis of the Blow Fly, Phormia Regina

The behavior-genetic analysis of the blow fly, Phormia regina, has revealed that an aspect of its feeding behavior, the proboscis extension reflex (PER), can be modified by both associative ("learned") and non-associative factors such as the central excitatory state (CES). Data are presented indicating that a procedure previously used to demonstrate classical conditioning in P. regina (the Nelson paradigm) may not be suitable for continued behavior-genetic analyses. A conditioned discrimination procedure is described and data are presented validating its effectiveness in demonstrating an associative effect. This procedure is then used to re-analyze a previously observed correlation between conditionability and CES, and shows this correlation to have been specific to the original (Nelson) conditioning procedure used. The conditioned discrimination procedure was then modified for use with an automated stimulating device and used in a bidirectional selection experiment. Using a difference score (CS+-CS-) as the selection criterion, selective breeding produced high and low performance lines differing significantly from one another and from an unselected control line. An analysis of the selected lines using a newly developed system for the classification of curve types reveals that the high performance line in fact shows a higher proportion of individuals classified as "learners."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Zawistowski, Stephen Louis

• Psychology, Experimental

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8410076

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69644