Concurrent conditional discrimination tests of transitive inference by macaque monkeys: list linking.
Processing of serial information was assessed by training six macaques on a five-item list of objects arranged into the four conditional pairs, A-B+, B-C+, C-D+, and D-E+. An analogous list (F through J) was similarly trained. Subsequently, both lists were linked by training on E-F+, a pair that provided adjacent elements from each list. Then, all unique and trained object pairs from both lists were presented as a test. Results indicated that the objects were retained as a single, linearly organized list with choice accuracy directly related to interitem distance between paired objects. A second experiment explored the consequences of incidence of conflicting information on list organization. In both experiments, selections depended on representational processes and supported the view that monkeys and pigeons retain serial lists in qualitatively different ways.
Treichler
F R
FR
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Ohio 44242-0001, USA.
Van Tilburg
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D
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011340:Problem Solving; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis