Effect of water temperature on swimming-based taste aversion learning in rats

Swimming endows rats with conditioned aversion to a taste solution consumed shortly prior to swimming. The present study explores the effects of water temperature on this swimming-based taste aversion learning using simple conditioning (Experiment 1) and differential conditioning (Experiment 2) paradigms. In both experiments, swimming in 22 °C water effectively established taste aversion, while the aversion based on swimming in 30 or 38 °C water was weak and ambiguous. These findings are in contrast with the hypothesis that the energy expended during swimming is a crucial factor in the establishment of this learning, because it is known that the amount of physical activity is higher in warmer water.