Stimulus control by same-versus-different relations among multiple visual stimuli.
The authors devised a go/no-go discrimination learning task that allowed but did not require pigeons to report (a) from which of 2 different sets a collection of visual items was drawn and (b) the relations between or among the items as being the same as or different from one another. The results of 2 experiments using this task disclosed stimulus control by the particular items in the arrays and by the same-different relations exemplified by those items. Relational and item control depended on how many items were in the arrays. Same-different discrimination was evident with 2-item displays, but it was much stronger with 6 or more items. These findings help to define the substrates of advanced conceptual behavior.
Wasserman
Edward A
EA
Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52245, USA. ed-wasserman@uiowa.edu
Frank
Andrea J
AJ
Young
Michael E
ME
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior; D010856:Columbidae; D003210:Concept Formation; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005795:Generalization, Stimulus; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011340:Problem Solving; D011930:Reaction Time; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014796:Visual Perception