Weakening of negative relative to positive associations with cocaine-paired cues contributes to cue-induced responding after drug removal

► Cocaine administration has mixed and opposing actions. ► Rats exhibited conflict about entering a cocaine-associated goal-box. ► After 1-3 wks of extinction a cocaine-paired cue potentiated runway responding. ► The drug-paired cue elicited approach responding but weakened avoidance behavior. ► Negative drug-cue associations extinguish more rapidly than positive associations.