Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
Published on: August 18, 2014
Peter Urcuioli's lasting contribution: Animal memory research and an important model of stimulus class formation
1University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Abstract:
My collaboration with Peter Urcuioli started with research on delayed matching to sample. Initially we asked, what do pigeons remember during the delay in delayed matching to sample: a retrospective coding of the sample or a prospective coding of the comparison-related response? This led us to examine the basis of the differential outcomes effect. Why are samples associated with differential outcomes learned faster and remembered better than samples associated with common outcomes? This research helped us discover a procedure that resulted in functional stimulus equivalence: Samples associated with the same comparison are commonly associated. This research led Peter to develop his creative model of pigeon equivalence class formation. His model predicts the conditions under which pigeons satisfy the three components of what is known as Sidman equivalence: reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity, phenomena that are difficult to demonstrate in pigeons. Importantly, his model predicts the opposite of reflexivity (anti-reflexivity) and symmetry (anti-symmetry). Research confirming Peter's model laid to rest the belief that the emergent relations defining Sidman equivalence can be satisfied only by an organism capable of using language. In his long career, Peter Urcuioli has made an important and long-lasting contribution to the field of learning and comparative cognition.
Related Concept Videos
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs salivated...
Principles of Classical Conditioning
During the...
Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...
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...
Storage

