Publications [#288061] of John E. Staddon
search www.pbs.duke.edu.Papers Published
- Staddon, JER; Frank, J, Mechanisms of discrimination reversal,
Animal Behaviour, vol. 22 no. PART 4
(1974),
pp. 802-828, Elsevier BV [doi] .
(last updated on 2025/03/09)Abstract:
Groups of pigeons were trained on a successive discrimination procedure (multiple variable-interval, extinction schedule, with correction in S-), and then exposed to successive reversals, either daily, or less frequently. At asymptote the birds made more than 90 per cent of their responses to S+, and showed good transfer to a 'learning set' series. Three factors were involved in discrimination reversal performance: (a) a tendency to respond to only one of the two stimuli presented each day; (b) control of 'choice' by food delivery and by procedural cues; (c) a tendency to respond to the prior S+ (negative transfer). Transfer effects showed themselves in two main ways: (a) by impaired performance on the first reversal following manipulations that increased the salience in memory of S+ on a given day, such as a shift to a new pair of stimuli, or a gap (days off) in a series of daily reversals. The new-problem effect was quite robust, but the days-off effect was observed only when other controlling factors were relatively weak; (b) by impaired performance on the first reversal following learning set training interpolated into a series of reversals. Reversal performance seems to represent a balance among a number of controlling factors, and the factors involved may be different for different individuals, even though the final performances appear similar. © 1974.