A State-Dependent Learning Effect Produced by Amylobarbitone Sodium

Abstract

Learning is said to be state-dependent when a response which is learned in a given internal state shows disproportionate decrement in retention when the internal state of the learner is changed. Research on this phenomenon has a long history. It was first noted by investigators who were concerned with the problem of whether overt responses were necessary for the formation of classically conditioned responses. Curare was used to eliminate the overt response, and it was found that: