title: Summation effects in human learning: evidence from patterning discriminations in goal-tracking.
abstract: Participants in two human goal-tracking experiments were simultaneously trained with negative patterning (NP) and positive patterning (PP) discriminations (A+, B+, AB-, C-, D-, CD+). Both elemental and configural models of associative learning predict a PP advantage, such that NP is solved less readily than PP. However, elemental models like the unique cue approach additionally predict responding in AB- trials to be initially stronger than that in A+ and B+ trials due to summation of associative strength. Both experiments revealed a PP advantage and a strong summation effect in AB- trials in the first half of the experiments, irrespective of whether the same US was used for both discriminations (Experiment 1) or two different USs (Experiment 2). We discuss that the correct predictions of the unique cue approach are based on its assumptions of non-normalized and context-independent stimulus processing rather than elemental processing per se.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg , Marburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thorwart
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg , Marburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uengoer
authors.affiliation: b School of Psychology, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia.
authors.forename: Evan J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Livesey
authors.affiliation: b School of Psychology, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia.
authors.forename: Justin A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities
keywords: Configural and elemental processing; Discrimination; Goal tracking; Normalization; Patterning