title: Prawn-in-a-tube procedure: habituation or associative learning in cuttlefish?
abstract: The prawn-in-a-tube procedure (J. B. Messenger, 1973a) has been used almost exclusively to study associative learning in cuttlefish. In two experiments, the authors sought to determine whether the decline in attack responses observed in this procedure was best accounted for by habituation or associative learning. Results of Experiment 1 revealed an asymmetrical stimulus-specificity effect that could be interpreted as either an instance of habituation or of associative learning. Results of Experiment 2 demonstrated that the response decline could not be reversed following the presentation of a dishabituatory stimulus. The combined results of these experiments support the conclusion that the response decline is best viewed as a resulting of associative processes. The authors considered whether the response decline represents extinction or passive avoidance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA. purdy@southwestern.edu
authors.forename: Jesse E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: Deann
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Aleta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riedlinger
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suarez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D033364:Decapoda; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D011897:Random Allocation; D049833:Sepia; D013997:Time Factors; D014741:Video Recording