“…Then, after each CS -> US association had been presented in the first learning block, pupil dilation to CS+ was higher than to CS-in block 2 (difference = 0.046 mm, CI95 = [0.011, 0.081], p = 0.011) and block 3 (difference = 0.088 mm, CI95 = [0.053, 0.124], p < 0.001). This observation replicates our earlier work using the episodic conditioning paradigm (de Vries, Duken, et al, 2022;de Vries, Grasman, et al, 2022). Crucially, pupil dilation to CS+ remained higher than to CS-the following day (difference = 0.057 mm, CI95 = [0.030, 0.083], p < 0.001), indicating that direct conditioned responses were retained at the time sensory preconditioning was tested.…”