The Interaction of Temporal Generalization Gradients Predicts the Context Effect

Autor/inn/en	de Castro, Ana Catarina; Machado, Armando
Titel	The Interaction of Temporal Generalization Gradients Predicts the Context Effect
Quelle	In: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 97 (2012) 3, S.263-279 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-5002
Schlagwörter	Animals; Reinforcement; Context Effect; Probability; Time; Stimulus Generalization; Prediction; Discrimination Learning + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Animal; Tier; Tiere; Positive Verstärkung; Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung; Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie; Zeit; Vorhersage; Lernen; Lernprozess
Abstract	In a temporal double bisection task, animals learn two discriminations. In the presence of Red and Green keys, responses to Red are reinforced after 1-s samples and responses to Green are reinforced after 4-s samples; in the presence of Blue and Yellow keys, responses to Blue are reinforced after 4-s samples and responses to Yellow are reinforced after 16-s samples. Subsequently, given a choice between Green and Blue, the probability of choosing Green increases with the sample duration--the context effect. In the present study we asked whether this effect could be predicted from the stimulus generalization gradients induced by the two basic discriminations. Six pigeons learned to peck Green following 4-s samples (S[superscript +]) but not following 1-s samples (S[superscript -]) and to peck Red following 4 s samples (S[superscript +]) but not following 16-s samples (S[superscript -]). Temporal generalization gradients for Green and Red were then obtained. Finally, the pigeons were given a choice between Green and Red following sample durations ranging from 1 to 16 s. Results showed that a) the two generalization gradients had the minimum at the S[superscript -] duration, an intermediate value between the S[superscript -] and the S[superscript +] durations, and the maximum at the S[superscript +] as well as more extreme durations; b) on choice trials, preference for Green over Red increased with sample duration, the context effect; and c) the two generalization gradients predicted the average context effect well. The Learning-to-Time model accounts for the major trends in the data. (Contains 3 footnotes, 3 tables, and 7 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Available from: Indiana University Department of Psychology. Bloomington, IN 47405-1301. Tel: 812-334-0395; FAX: 812-855-4691; e-mail: jeab@indiana.edu; Web site: http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jeab/index.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10