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Published on: February 21, 2014
Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), video tasks, and implications for stimulus-response spatial contiguity
D M Rumbaugh1, W K Richardson, D A Washburn
1Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303.
Abstract:
Recent reports (Iwai, Yaginuma, & Mishkin, 1986; Yaginuma & Iwai, 1986) have supported the earlier conclusion by Meyer, Treichler, and Meyer (1965) and by Stollnitz (1965) that the efficiency of primate learning is compromised to the degree that there is spatial discontiguity between discriminanda and the locus of response. The research reported in this article calls for a reconsideration of this conclusion. Two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) easily mastered precise control of a joystick to respond to a variety of computer-generated targets despite the fact that the joystick was located 9 to 18 cm from the video screen. We hold that stimulus-response contiguity is a significant parameter of learning only to the degree that the monkey visually attends to the directional movements of its hand in order to displace discriminanda as in the Wisconsin General Test Apparatus. If, instead, attention is focused on the effects of the hand's movement rather than on the hand itself, stimulus-response contiguity is no longer a primary parameter of learning. The implications of this work for mirror-guided studies are discussed.
Insights
Spatial discontiguity does not always impair primate learning. Rhesus monkeys learned joystick control with a spatially separated screen, suggesting attention to movement effects, not just hand position, is key for learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Primate Behavior
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Previous research indicated spatial discontiguity between stimuli and responses hinders primate learning.
- This established principle suggested a necessary link between the location of visual cues and the physical action required.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the necessity of stimulus-response contiguity in primate learning.
- To investigate if learning efficiency is affected by spatial separation in a joystick-controlled task.
Main Methods:
- Two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained to control a joystick.
- The joystick was positioned 9 to 18 cm from the video display screen.
- Monkeys responded to various computer-generated targets using the joystick.
Main Results:
- Both monkeys successfully mastered precise joystick control.
- Learning occurred despite the significant spatial separation between the joystick and the visual targets.
- This suggests that the spatial contiguity itself may not be the critical factor.
Conclusions:
- Stimulus-response contiguity is important only when learning requires visual attention to the hand's movement in relation to stimuli.
- When attention shifts to the *effects* of movement, spatial contiguity becomes less critical for learning.
- These findings have implications for understanding learning mechanisms in tasks like mirror-guided studies.
