Over-selectivity as a learned response.
An experiment investigated the effects of different levels of task complexity in pre-training on over-selectivity in a subsequent match-to-sample (MTS) task. Twenty human participants were divided into two groups; exposed either to a 3-element, or a 9-element, compound stimulus as a sample during MTS training. After the completion of training, both groups were tested on an MTS task using a novel 6-element compound sample stimulus. The level of over-selectivity at test was influenced by the training. Specifically, the group exposed to a more complex (9-element) training task displayed higher levels of over-selectivity at test than the group with a less complex training task. The results suggest that over-selectivity may be a learned response to complex situations, and are discussed with respect to theories and treatments for over-selectivity.
Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. p.reed@swansea.ac.uk
Phil
P
Reed
Neysa
N
Petrina
Louise
L
McHugh
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values