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Generalization and response mediation of a conditional discrimination
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|May 1, 1970
Summary
Pigeon color discrimination improved with greater observing response location separation. This suggests observing response location influences conditional discrimination performance and may mediate stimulus control.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Conditional discrimination is a fundamental learning process where a stimulus signals the correct response.
- Observing responses are often required to access or identify sample stimuli in discrimination tasks.
- The role of physical characteristics of observing responses in mediating stimulus control is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the spatial separation of observing response locations affects conditional discrimination performance in pigeons.
- To examine whether observing response location can act as a stimulus controlling behavior in a discrimination task.
- To explore the potential for response mediation in explaining stimulus control within conditional discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Pigeons were trained on a conditional discrimination task using colored sample stimuli and line comparison stimuli.
- An observing response was required on a key, with varying spatial separations (0, 3, or 6 inches) for different groups.
- Generalization tests with novel stimuli and tests isolating observing response location were conducted.
Main Results:
- Conditional discrimination accuracy was positively correlated with the spatial separation of the observing response locations.
- Generalization tests showed shifts in both observing-response location and comparison responding along the wavelength continuum.
- Observing response location alone served as a stimulus, demonstrating stimulus control and supporting response mediation.
Conclusions:
- Increased spatial separation of observing response locations enhances conditional discrimination performance in pigeons.
- Observing response location functions as a stimulus, influencing both the observing response and subsequent choice behavior.
- These findings support a response mediation account, where the physical properties of the observing response play a crucial role in stimulus control.
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