Taste stimuli: a behavioral categorization.

The selective patterns of generalization to various chemicals, obtained in rats after radiation-induced gustatory-avoidance conditioning against single chemicals, were used to evaluate qualitative similarities among taste stimuli. DL-Alanine, glycine, and sodium saccharin were classed together, but not with D-glucose or potassium chloride. Groupings such as these may serve as a basis for determining the dimensions along which taste quality is represented.