Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants
Published on: October 5, 2018
Configural learning in two species of marsupial (Setonix brachyurus and Sminthopsis crassicaudata)
1Department of Psychology, Nedlands, Australia. kathryn@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Abstract:
Four experiments examined the ability of quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) and fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) to solve 2 configural tasks: transverse and negative patterning. Transverse patterning requires the simultaneous solution of 3 overlapping discrimination problems (A+ B-, B+ C-, C+ A-). Both species could solve the nonoverlapping (elemental) version of this task (U+ V-, W+ X-, Y+ Z-), but only dunnarts solved the transverse patterning task. Negative patterning requires conditioned responses to 2 stimuli when presented separately but not together (A+, B+, AB-). Both species formed a selective conditioned response to A+ and B+ stimuli and inhibited responding to a simple nonreinforced stimulus (C-), but only dunnarts successfully inhibited responding to the AB- compound to solve the negative patterning task. These experiments are the first to demonstrate configural learning in a marsupial.
Related Concept Videos
Instinctive Drift
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Introduction to Learning
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...

