Intermodal transfer from a visual to an auditory discrimination using an errorless learning procedure.
Errorless learning is a technique developed by Terrace [Terrace, H.S., 1963a. Discrimination training with and without "errors". J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 6, 1-27] to train stimulus discriminations with few or no errors. In the first replication of the original findings, errorless learning was also shown to transfer successfully between two visual discriminations without errors [Terrace, H.S., 1963b. Errorless transfer of a discrimination across two continua. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 6, 223-232]. In the present experiment, we extended the errorless learning procedure to an intermodal transfer, from a discrimination between red and green colors to a discrimination between high and low tones. The pigeons were divided into two groups: an Experimental Group, which learned both discriminations through errorless learning, and a Control Group, which learned them through trial-and-error. Results showed that pigeons from the Experimental Group learned the red-green discrimination with significantly fewer errors than the Control Group and that errorless learning is effective in transferring from a visual to an auditory discrimination.
Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. joana.arantes@canterbury.ac.nz
Joana
J
Arantes
Mark E
ME
Berg
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D003118:Color Perception; D010856:Columbidae; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D014163:Transfer, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*