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Variability discrimination in humans and animals: implications for adaptive action.
Edward A Wasserman1, Michael E Young, Robert G Cook
1Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA. ed-wasserman@uiowa.edu
The American Psychologist
|December 9, 2004
Summary
Understanding stimulus variability, the difference between repeating and changing events, is key for adaptive behavior in humans and animals. This discrimination influences actions and offers new research avenues for psychologists and neuroscientists.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Psychology
Background:
- Organisms experience a world with both stable and changing events.
- Distinguishing between uniformity and diversity is crucial for effective action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that discriminating stimulus stability from variability is fundamental to adaptive action.
- To highlight the impact of stimulus variability on human and animal behavior.
Main Methods:
- Review of evidence from behavioral science.
- Analysis of recent comparative research with humans and animals.
Main Results:
- Discrimination of and preference for stimulus variability significantly affect action in both humans and animals.
- Comparative research provides a promising approach to studying these phenomena.
Conclusions:
- Understanding stimulus variability and its behavioral consequences presents challenges and opportunities for psychology and neuroscience.
- Further research into the behavioral and neural processes of stimulus variability is warranted.