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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
Published on: March 1, 2022
Summation in autoshaping is affected by the similarity of the visual stimuli to the stimulation they replace
John M Pearce1, Edward S Redhead, David N George
1School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3YG, United Kingdom. pearcejm@cardiff.ac.uk
Abstract:
Pigeons received autoshaping with 2 stimuli, A and B, presented in adjacent regions on a television screen. Conditioning with each stimulus was therefore accompanied by stimulation that was displaced from the screen whenever the other stimulus was presented. Test trials with AB revealed stronger responding if this displaced stimulation was similar to, rather than different from, A and B. For a further experiment the training just described included trials with A and B accompanied by an additional, similar, stimulus. Responding during test trials with AB was stronger if the additional trials signaled the presence rather than the absence of food. The results are explained with a configural theory of conditioning.
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