There is growing evidence that in human skin conductance response
(SCR) conditioning positive patterning (A−, B−,
AB+) and negative patterning (A+, B+, AB−) are solved by
applying two different rules. The present experiments investigated
whether the representations of such rules are specific or general
with regard to outcomes and response systems. In Experiment
1, we investigated SCR and eyelid conditioning with different
types of training administered in an interleaved fashion. We
found that positive patterning SCR conditioning interfered with
negative patterning SCR conditioning, whereas eyeblink conditioning
had no effect on SCR conditioning. In Experiment 2, in which
eyeblink and SCR conditioning were administered in sequential
fashion, the same result was obtained. We conclude that the
rules involved in solving patterning tasks might be specific
to outcomes and/or response systems.