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Chemotherapy patients often experience taste aversions to particular foods because they undergo a process of learning called classical conditioning. Classical conditioning occurs when a particular thing that doesn't actually elicit any reaction (called a neutral stimulus) is paired with something that naturally elicits some reaction (called an unconditioned stimulus), and then an association develops between the original stimulus and the reaction (after which the neutral stimulus is then referred to as the conditioned stimulus). The chemicals used in chemotherapy (unconditioned stimulus) are what naturally cause nausea and vomiting; however, sometimes food eaten soon after receiving chemotherapy treatment (neutral stimulus) can be associated with the feeling of illness caused by the chemo, then leading the patient to develop an aversion to that particular food item (now a conditioned stimulus). Typically, classical conditioning requires multiple pairings of the unconditioned and neutral stimulus; however, learned taste aversions can develop after a single pairing, because the body is biologically prepared to develop these.

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Q: Why do chemotherapy patients experience taste aversion?
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Related questions

What is conditioned taste aversion?

Conditioned taste aversion is a learned association between the taste of a food and a negative experience, such as illness or nausea. This association can cause an individual to avoid eating that food in the future to prevent experiencing the negative outcome again.


What foods are associated with taste aversion?

Taste aversion is a conditioned response, which happens when a person associates a certain food with an illness or unpleasant experience; an example would be someone who can't eat apples, because they developed stomache flu shortly after eating one. The illness had nothing to do with the apple, but the person associates the two psychologically. Taste aversion can happen with any food.


What is taste and smell aversion?

Taste and smell aversion is a learned response to a particular taste or smell that is associated with a negative experience, leading to a strong dislike or avoidance of that specific stimulus in the future. This aversion mechanism helps organisms avoid potentially harmful substances.


What is the form of classical conditioning in which a food come to be avoided is?

The form of classical conditioning in which a food that was once liked becomes avoided is known as taste aversion or food aversion. This occurs when an individual associates a particular food with feeling ill, leading to a conditioned response of avoiding that food in the future.


What did Garcia and Koelling's studies of taste aversion in rats demonstrate in classical conditioning?

Biological predisposition


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What has the author Jan Bures written?

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Which is the most important characteristic of a food that is linked to a conditioned taste aversion for birds?

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