title: Acquisition of matching-to-sample performance in rats using visual stimuli on nose keys.
abstract: Steady and blinking white lights were projected on three nose keys arranged horizontally on one wall. The procedure was a conditional discrimination with a sample stimulus presented on the middle key and comparison stimuli on the side keys. Three rats acquired simultaneous "identity matching." Accuracy reached 80% in about 25 sessions and 90% or higher after about 50 sessions. Acquisition progressed through several stages of repeated errors, alteration between comparison keys from trial to trial, preference of specific keys or stimuli, and a gradual lengthening of strings of consecutive trials with correct responses. An analysis of the acquisition curves for individual trial configurations indicated that the matching-to-sample performance possibly consisted of separate discriminations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville 32216.
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Iversen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D008027:Light; D009622:Noise; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors