Preexposure effects in the spatial domain: Dissociation between latent inhibition and perceptual learning.
In 4 experiments, rats were given intermixed or blocked preexposure to an array of landmarks that subsequently defined the location of a hidden goal in a Morris pool task. Previous research has shown that intermixed preexposure to pairs of adjacent landmarks retards learning whereas preexposure to individual landmarks facilitates subsequent learning (J. Prados, V. D. Chamizo, & N. J. Mackintosh, 1999). Accordingly, in Experiment 1, intermixed and blocked preexposure to pairs of adjacent landmarks was found to retard learning. In Experiment 2, however, a scheduling effect was found: Rats given intermixed preexposure to the individual landmarks learned faster than rats given blocked or no preexposure. Experiment 3 showed that intermixed (but not blocked) preexposure to pairs of landmarks resulted in a facilitatory effect when preexposure and test were carried out in different contexts. Experiment 4 replicated within a single experiment the main results observed in Experiments 1 and 3. This pattern of results suggests that intermixed preexposure engages learning processes other than latent inhibition that facilitate subsequent learning of the navigation task.
Prados
Jose
J
School of PsychologyUniversity of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom. jpg19@le.ac.uk
Artigas
Antonio A
AA
Sansa
Joan
J
D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013037:Spatial Behavior; D014796:Visual Perception