title: Animal memory: the contribution of generalization decrement to delayed conditional discrimination retention functions.
abstract: Delayed conditional discriminations in which a sample indicates which comparison stimulus is correct have typically been used in working memory research with animals. Following acquisition with no (0-sec) delay between the offset of the sample and the onset of the comparison stimuli, delays of variable duration are introduced. The resulting retention functions are taken as a measure of memory. We suggest that, in addition to memory loss due to the delay, the comparison of matching accuracy at the 0-sec training delay with relatively novel test delays may produce a generalization decrement that varies as a function of increasing delay. We tested this hypothesis by training pigeons with a mixed delay procedure from the start and found that the retention functions for these pigeons were significantly shallower than those for a control group trained with 0-sec delays and tested with longer delays, and, although reduced in magnitude, the differences persisted for as many as 15 sessions. We propose that a measure of animals' working memory can be obtained uninfluenced by a generalization decrement if they have received comparable training with all of the delays that are tested.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rayburn-Reeves
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Zentall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors