title: Inhibitory associations contribute to perceptual learning in humans.
abstract: Perceptual learning in humans was examined in 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, participants received intermixed exposure to 2 similar compounds (AX, BX, AX, BX, . . .) and blocked exposure to a 2nd pair of similar compounds (CY, CY, . . . , DY, DY, . . .). Aversions established to AX and CY generalized less to BX than to DY. In Experiment 2, 1 pair of compounds was presented in a forward order (i.e., AX3BX), whereas the 2nd pair of compounds was presented in a backward order (i.e., DY-->CY). Aversions established to AX and CY generalized less to BX than to DY. These results indicate that inhibitory associations contribute to perceptual learning in humans and thereby establish a fundamental similarity between the mechanisms that underlie perceptual learning in humans and rats.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK. mundym@cardiff.ac.uk
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mundy
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Honey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010469:Perceptual Distortion / Q000502:physiology*; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*