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THE ROLE OF DISTINGUISHING F.EATUHES IN DISCHIMINATION LE.ARNING

The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

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Page 1: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

THE ROLE OF DISTINGUISHING FEATUHES

IN DISCHIMINATION LEARNING

THE ROLE OF DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

IN DISCRIHINATION LEARNING middot

by

Robert Stephen Sainsbury HA

A Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial ulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy

McMaster University May 1969

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (1969) HcHaster University (Psychology)

TITLE The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

AUTHOR Robert Stephen Sainsbury BA (Mount Allison University) HA (Dalhousie University)

SUPERVISOR Dr H M Jenkins

NUMBER OF PAGES vii 209

SCOPE AND CONmiddotrENTS

When pigeons are required to discriminate between two displays which may only be differentiated by a distinctive feature on one of the two displays subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display learn the successive discrimination while subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display do not The simultaneous discrimination theory of this feature-positive effect makes a number of explicit predictions about the behaviour of the feature positive and feature neeative subjects The present experiments were designed to test these predictions Experiment I tested the prediction of localization on the distinctive feature by feature positive subjects while Experiment II tested the prediction of avoidance of the distinctive feature by feature negative subjects Experiment III attempted to reduce the feature-positive effect by presenting compact displays

The results of these three experiments supported the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature positive effect

( ii)

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to

Professor H H Jenkins for his advice criticism and encouragement

throughout all stages of this research

The author is also indebted to Hr Cy Dixon and Hr Jan

Licis for their invaluable assistance in building the apparatus

used in these experiments

(iii)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction

CHAPTER TWO 23 Experiment I

CHAPTER THREE 42 Experiment II

CHAPTER FOUR 73 Experiment III

CHAPTER FIVE 120 Discussion

Appendix A 140

Appendix B 142

Appendix C 162

Appendix D Appendix E 203

(iv)

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

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J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

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Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

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Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

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Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

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exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

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Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

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Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 2: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

THE ROLE OF DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

IN DISCRIHINATION LEARNING middot

by

Robert Stephen Sainsbury HA

A Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial ulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy

McMaster University May 1969

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (1969) HcHaster University (Psychology)

TITLE The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

AUTHOR Robert Stephen Sainsbury BA (Mount Allison University) HA (Dalhousie University)

SUPERVISOR Dr H M Jenkins

NUMBER OF PAGES vii 209

SCOPE AND CONmiddotrENTS

When pigeons are required to discriminate between two displays which may only be differentiated by a distinctive feature on one of the two displays subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display learn the successive discrimination while subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display do not The simultaneous discrimination theory of this feature-positive effect makes a number of explicit predictions about the behaviour of the feature positive and feature neeative subjects The present experiments were designed to test these predictions Experiment I tested the prediction of localization on the distinctive feature by feature positive subjects while Experiment II tested the prediction of avoidance of the distinctive feature by feature negative subjects Experiment III attempted to reduce the feature-positive effect by presenting compact displays

The results of these three experiments supported the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature positive effect

( ii)

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to

Professor H H Jenkins for his advice criticism and encouragement

throughout all stages of this research

The author is also indebted to Hr Cy Dixon and Hr Jan

Licis for their invaluable assistance in building the apparatus

used in these experiments

(iii)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction

CHAPTER TWO 23 Experiment I

CHAPTER THREE 42 Experiment II

CHAPTER FOUR 73 Experiment III

CHAPTER FIVE 120 Discussion

Appendix A 140

Appendix B 142

Appendix C 162

Appendix D Appendix E 203

(iv)

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 3: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (1969) HcHaster University (Psychology)

TITLE The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

AUTHOR Robert Stephen Sainsbury BA (Mount Allison University) HA (Dalhousie University)

SUPERVISOR Dr H M Jenkins

NUMBER OF PAGES vii 209

SCOPE AND CONmiddotrENTS

When pigeons are required to discriminate between two displays which may only be differentiated by a distinctive feature on one of the two displays subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display learn the successive discrimination while subjects trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display do not The simultaneous discrimination theory of this feature-positive effect makes a number of explicit predictions about the behaviour of the feature positive and feature neeative subjects The present experiments were designed to test these predictions Experiment I tested the prediction of localization on the distinctive feature by feature positive subjects while Experiment II tested the prediction of avoidance of the distinctive feature by feature negative subjects Experiment III attempted to reduce the feature-positive effect by presenting compact displays

The results of these three experiments supported the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature positive effect

( ii)

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to

Professor H H Jenkins for his advice criticism and encouragement

throughout all stages of this research

The author is also indebted to Hr Cy Dixon and Hr Jan

Licis for their invaluable assistance in building the apparatus

used in these experiments

(iii)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction

CHAPTER TWO 23 Experiment I

CHAPTER THREE 42 Experiment II

CHAPTER FOUR 73 Experiment III

CHAPTER FIVE 120 Discussion

Appendix A 140

Appendix B 142

Appendix C 162

Appendix D Appendix E 203

(iv)

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 4: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to

Professor H H Jenkins for his advice criticism and encouragement

throughout all stages of this research

The author is also indebted to Hr Cy Dixon and Hr Jan

Licis for their invaluable assistance in building the apparatus

used in these experiments

(iii)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction

CHAPTER TWO 23 Experiment I

CHAPTER THREE 42 Experiment II

CHAPTER FOUR 73 Experiment III

CHAPTER FIVE 120 Discussion

Appendix A 140

Appendix B 142

Appendix C 162

Appendix D Appendix E 203

(iv)

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 5: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction

CHAPTER TWO 23 Experiment I

CHAPTER THREE 42 Experiment II

CHAPTER FOUR 73 Experiment III

CHAPTER FIVE 120 Discussion

Appendix A 140

Appendix B 142

Appendix C 162

Appendix D Appendix E 203

(iv)

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

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J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

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Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

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Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 6: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

FIGURES

Fig 1 Symmetrical and asymmetrical pairs of displays 9

Fig 2 Logic diagrams for syrJmetrical and asymmetrical pairs 4 bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 12

Fig 3 Tree diagram of the simultaneous discrimination theory bull bull 17

Fig 4 Hedian Ratio of responses made by feature positive and feature negative subjects in Experiment I bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull 29

Fig 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 32

Fig 6 Records of peck location during differential training for a subject trained with the dot on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 34

Fig 7 Records of peck location for a subject trained with the dot on the negative trial 37

Fig 8 Records of peck location for two subjects trained with the dot on the negative trial 39

Fig 9 Two pairs of displays used in bxperiment II 48

FiglO Median discrimination indices for group trained with circle as distL~ctive feature on positive trial 52

Figll Median discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on positive trial 54

Figl2 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials for subject B-66 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 58

Figl3 Total number of responses made to common elements on cd and c-only trials by subject B-68 bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 60

Figl4 lfedian discrimination indices for groups trained with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial 64

Figl5 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained with star as distinctive feature on negative trial 66

(v)

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 7: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

Fig 16 Extinction test results for each of the four groups of Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 69

Fig 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbull 78

Fig 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the red circle as the distinctive feature on the positive trial bullbullbullbullbullbull 89

Fig 19 I1edian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature on the positive tlial bullbullbullbullbullbull 91

Fig 20 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed group trained with red circlemiddot as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 94

Fig 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 96

Fig 22 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial 99

Fig 23 Hedian discrimination indices for both compact groups traDled with the distinctive feature on the negative trial bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 102

Fig 24 ExtDlction test results for each of the four troups trained on distributed displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 107

Fig 25 Extinction test results for each of the four groups trained on compact displays bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 109

(vi)

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 8: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

TABLES

Table 1 Experimental design used in Experiment III 82

Table 2 Hean successive discrimination indices on the last session of training for all eight groups in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 83

Table 3 Analysis of variance for the last session of training in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 85

Table 4 Proportion of responses on poundi displays made to red circle during pre-differential training bullbull 86

Table 5 Proportion of total responses made to each stimulus within a display bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 192

Table 6 Proportion of total responses made to the positive display during each session by individual subjects bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 194

Table 7 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment II bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 206

Table 8 Proportion of responses made to each section of the display on c-only trials by feature negative subjects in Experiment III bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 208

Table 9 Comparison of position preference and tho proportion of responses made to each type of c d trial 210

(vii)

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

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Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
Page 9: The Role of Distinguishing Features in Discrimination Learning

CHAPTER OiIE

Introduction

Pavlov (1927) was the first investigator to study discrimli1ative

conditioning using successive presentations of two similar stimuli only

one of which was reinforced For example a tone of a given frequency

was paired with the introduction of food powder into the dogs mouth

while a tone of a different frequency went unreinforced Initially

both the reinforced and nonreinforced tones evoked the conditioned

response of salivation After repeated presentations responding ceased

in the presence of the nonreinforced stimulus while continuing in the

presence of the reinforced stimulus Using this method called the method

of contrasts Pavlov investieated discriminative conditioninG for a

variety of visual auditory and tactile stimuli

A similar procedure is used in the study of discrimination

learning within operant conditioning In operant conditioning a response

is required (eg a rats bar press or a pigeons key peck) in order to

bring about reinforcement Responses made in the presene of one stimulus

produces reinforcernent (eg deliver a food pellet to a hungry rat or

make grain available to a hungry pigeon) while responses to a different

stillulus go unreinforced As in the Pavlovian or classical condi tionins

experiment the typical result is that at first responses are made to

both stimuli As successive presentations of reinforced agtd nonreinforced

1

2

stimuli continue responding decreases or stops altogether in the

presence of the nonreinforced or negative stimulus while it continues

in the presence of the reinforced or positive stimulus The term gono-go

discrimination is often used to refer to a discriminative performance

of this type

In many experiments using this paradigm of discriminative

conditioning the pair of stimuli to be discriminated will differ along

some dimension that is easily varied in a continuous fashion For example

the intensityof sound or light the frequency of tones the wave length

of monochromatic light the orientation of a line etc might distinguish

positive from negative trials The choice of stimuli of this type may

be dict9ted by an interest in the capacity of a sensory system to resolve

differences or simply because the difficulty of discrimination can be

readily controlled by varying the separation between the stimuli along

the dimension of difference Except where the pair of stimuli differ in

intensity experimenters generally assume that the development of a

discrimination is unaffected by the way in which the members of the pair

of stimuli are assigned to positive and negative trials If for example

a discrimination is to be learned between a vertical and a tilted line

there is no reason to believe that it makes a difference whether the

vertical or the tilted line is assigned to the positive trial The

discrimination is based on a difference in orientation ~~d the difference

belongs-no more to one member of the pair than to the other It could be

said that the stimuli differ symmetrically which implies a symmetry in

performance To introduce some notation let A and A2 represent stimuli1

3

that differ in terms of a value on dimension A Discrimination training

with A on the positive trial and A on the negative trial is indicated1 2

by A -A2 the reverse assignment as A -A bull Performance is said to be1 2 1

symmetrical with respect to assignments if the A -A task is learned at1 2

the same rate as the A -A task2 1

The assumption of symmetry for pairs of stirluli of this type

appears to have been so plausible that few investigators have bothered

to test it In Pavlovs discussion of discrimination he wrote Our

_repeated experiments have demonstrated that the same precision of

differentiation of various stimuli can be obtained whether they are used

in the form of negative or positive conditioned stimuli This holds good

in the case of conditioned trace reflexes also (Pavlov 1927 p 123)

It would appear from the context of the quote that the reference is to

the equality of performance for A -A and J -A tasks but since no1 2 2 1

experiments are described one cannot be certain

Pavlov studied discrimD1ations of a different kind in his

experiments on conditioned inhibition A conditioned response was first

established to one stimulus (A) through reinforcement A new stimulus

(B) was then occasionally added to the first and the combination was

nonreinforced lith continued training on this discrimination (A-AB)

the conditioned response ceased to the compound AB while it continued

to be made to A alone In Pavlovs ter~s B had become a conditioned

inhibitor

While the assumption of symmetry when the stimuli are of the

A -A variety seems compelling there is far less reason to expect equality1 2

4

in the learning of A-fill and AB-A discriminations There is a sense in

which the pair AB A is asymmetrically different since the difference

belongs more to the compound containing B than to the single element

The discrimination is based on the presence versus the absence of B

and it is by no means clear that the elimination of responding on the

negative trial should develop at the same rate when the negative trial

is marked from the positive trial by the addition of a stimulus as when

it is marked by the removal of a stimulus Oddly enough neither Pavlov

nor subsequent jnvestigators have provided an experimental comparison

of the learning of an AB-A and A-AB discrimination It is the purpose

of the present thesis to provide that comparison in the case of an

operant gono-go discrimination

Before describing in more detail the particulars of the present

experiments it is of interest to consider in general terms how the

comparison of learning an ~B-A with an A-AB discrimination might be

interpreted

The important thing to note is that within the AB-A and the A-AB

arrangements there are alternative ways to relate the performance of a

gono-go discrimination to the A and B stimuli The alternatives can

be expressed in terms of different rules which would be consistent with

the required gono-go performance Two rules for each arrangement are

listed below

AB-A A - AB

a) Respond to B otherwise do a) Do not respond to B otherwise not respond respond

b) Respond to A if B is present b) Do not respond to A if B is present otherwise do not respond to A otherwise respond to A

5

The rules desi~nated ~ and 2 are coordinate in that the performance

is governed entirely by the B stimulus In ~ the B stimulus has a

direct excitatory function since its presence evokes the response whjle

in a it has a direct inhibitory function since the presentation of B-middotmiddotmiddot prevents the response Rules b and b are also coordinate In each

case the response to A is modified by or is conditional upon the

presence of B but A is necessary for any response to occur In rule

E the B stimulus has an excitatory function while in rule~ it has an

inhibitory function but the functions are less direct than in rules a

and a since the action of B is said to depend on A

If it should turn out that the perforr1ance of the AB - A and

A - AB discriminations is correctly described by coordinate rules ie

either 2 and~ or 2 and_ then the experiment compares the absence of

an excitatory stiwulus with the preGence of an inhibitory stirmlus as a

basis for developing the no-go side of the discriminative performance

However there is nothing to prevent the AB - A discrimination from being

learned on a basis that is not coordinate with the basis on which the

A - AB discrimination is learned For example the AB - A discrimination

might be learned in accordance with rule a while rule b might apply to

the A - AB case This particular outcome is in fact especially likely

when training is carried out in a discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins

1965) since in that event is not a sufficient rule for the A - AB

discrimination In a discriminated trial procedure there are three

stimulus conditions the condition on the positive trial on the negative

trial and the condition that applies during the intervels between trials

6

In the present case neither stimulus A nor B would be present in the

intertrial If rule a were to apply the animal would therefore be

responding during the intertrial as well as on the positive trial since

rule ~middot states that responses occur unless B is present Conversely if

the between-trial condition is discriminated from the trials rule ~middot would

not apply Rule pound is however sufficient since the A stimulus provides

a basis for discriminating the positive trial from the intertrial It

is obvious that in the AB - A arrangement it is possible to ignore

stimulus A as in rule~middot because stimulus B alone serves to discriminate

the positive trial both from the intertrial condition and from the negative

trial

The implication of this discussion is that the comparison between

the learning of an A - AB and AB - A discrimination cannot be interpreted

as a comparison of inhibition with a loss of excit~tion as a basis for

the reduction of responses on the negative trial An interpretation in

these terms is only warranted if the two discriminations are learned on

a coordinate basis

There are of course many ways to choose stimuli to correspond

to A and Bin the general paradigm In Pavlovs experiments the A and

B stimuli were often in different modalities For example A might be

the beat of a metronome and B the addition of a tactile stimulus In

the present experiments however we have chosen to use only patterned

visual displays The B stimulus is represented as the addition of a

part or detail to one member of a pair of displays which were otherwise

identical

7

It is of interest to consider more carefully how di8plays that

differ asymmetrically may be distinguished from those that differ

symmetrically What assumptions are made when a pair of displays is

represented as AB and A in contrast with A and A 1 2

In Figure 1 are shown several groups of three displays One

can regard the middle display as being distinguished from the one to its

left by a feature that is located on the left hand display Accordingly

the middle and left hand displays may be said to differ asymmetrically

The middle and right hand displays on the other hand are symmetrically

different since the difference belongs no more to one display than to

the other

The assertion that a distiJlctive feature is located on one display

implies an analysis of the displays into features that are common to the

pair of displays and a distinctive feature that belongs to just one member

of the pair The middle and left-hand displays in the first row of

Figure 1 may be viewed as having a blank lighted area in common while

only the left hand display has the distinctive feature of a small black

circle The corresponding pair in the second row may be viewed as having

line segments in common (as well as a blank lighted area) while only the

left hand display has the distinctive feature of a gap In the third

row one can point to black circles as common parts and to the star as a

distinctive part A similar formula can be applied to each of the

rer1aining left hand pairs shown in Figure lo

In principle one can decide whether a pair of displays is

asymmetrically different by removing all features that appear on both

displays If something remains on one display while nothing remains on

8

Figure 1 Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pairs of displays

9

asymmetric a I symmetrical---middot-------r----------1

v

2

3

4

5

10

the other the pair is asymmetrically different The application of

this rule to the midd1e and right hand pairs in Figure 1 would yield

the same remainder on each display and hence these pairs of displays

differ symmetrically

The contrast between symmetrically and asynmetrically different

displays can be represented in logic diagrams as shown in Figure 2 The

left hand displays of Figure 1 are noted as 2_pound where pound stc-lIlds for the

distinctive feature and c for common features The middle display when

considered in relation to the left hand display consists entirely of

features common to both displays E_ and so is included within the left

hand display The pair made up of the middle and right hand displays

cannot be forced into the pound c and E notation since neither display

consists only of features that are also found on the other display These

pairs might be represented es 2_ _pound ann _d poundbull The logic diRgrRms suggest1 2

that one might also describe degrees of asymmetry but there is no need

to develop the matter here

It is important to recognize that the description of a display

as made up of common and distinctive features implies a particular form

of perceptual analysis which the physical makeup of the display cannot

guarantee In every case the rmirs that have been sctid to differ

asymmetrically could also be described in ways which remove the asyrntletry

The first pair can be described as a heterogeneous vs a homogeneous

area the second as an interrupted vs a continuous line the third as

dissimilar vs similar figures (or two vs three circles) and so on

In these more wholistic interpretations there are no local

distinctive features there are only contrasts A more radically molecular

11

Figure 2 Logic diagrams for symmetrical and asymnetrical pairs

dl c d2 cd c

c

symmetricallymiddotasymmetrically differentdifferent

13

analysis is also conceivable For example the space that forms the

gap in the line could be taken as identical to the space elsewhere in

the display The displays would then be collections of identical

elements Such an interpretation would imply that the interrupted and

continuous lines could not be discriminated

Vfuen it is asserted that a distinctive feature is located on one

display it is assumed that the feature is perceived as a unit and that

the remainder of the display maintains its identity independently of the

presence or absence of the distinctive feature

The first test of this assumption was reported by Jenkins amp

Sainsbury (1967) who performed a series of experiments which compared the

learning of a gono go discrimination when the distinctive feature

appeared on reli1forced or nonreinforced trials A review of those

expcriments and of the problems they raise will serve to introduce the

present experirJents

In the initial experiments pigeons were trained to discriminate

between a uniformly illuminated vthite disk one inch in diameter and

the same disk with a black dot 18 inch in diameter located in the centre

of the field These two displays correspond to the first pair of stimuli

shown in Figure 1 Fiteen animals were trained with the distinctive

feature on the positive display (feature positive) and sixteen aniraals

were trained with the distinctive feature on the negative display (feature

negative) Eleven of the fifteen feature positive animals learned the

successive discrimination while only one of the sixteen feature negative

animals did so Thic strong superiority of performance when the feature

is placed on positive trials is referred to as the feature4Jositive effect

14

It appears then that the placement of the distinctive feature is an

important variable

The use of a small dot as the distinctive feature raises the

possibility that the feature positive effect was due to a special

significance of small round objects to the pigeon Perhaps the resemblance

of the dot to a piece of grain results in persistent pecking at the dot

Thus when the dot is on negative trials H continues to elicit pecking

and the no-go side of the discrimination never appears This intershy

pretation of the feature positive effect is referred to as the elicitation

theory of the feature positive effect

A further experiment was performed in order to test this theory

Four new subjects were first reinforced for responding to each of three

displays a lighted display containing a dot a lighted display without

a dot and an unlighted display Reinforcement was then discontinued on

each of the lighted disr)lays but continued for responses to the unlighted

display It was found that the resistance to extinction to the dot display

and the no-dot display did not differ If the dot elicited pecking because

of its grain like appearance extinction should have occurred more slowly

in the presence of this display Thus it would seem that the elicitation

theory was not middotvorking in this situation

Jenkins amp Sainsbury (1967) performed a third experiment in order

to determine whether or not the feature positive effect occurred when

other stimuli were employed Two groups of animals were trained to

discriminate between a solid black horizontal line on a white background

and the same line with a 116 inch gap in its centre These stimuli

correspond to the second pair of asymmetrical stimuli depicted in Figure

-- -

15

1 Fbre animals were trained with the distinctive feature (ie gap)

on the positive display and five animals were trained with the gap

placed on the negative display By the end of training four of the

five gap-positive animals had formed the discrimination while none of

the five gap-negative animals showed any sign of discriminating Thus

a clear feature positive effect was obtained

It would seem then that the location of the distinctive feature

in relation to the positive or negative displays is an important variable

All of these experiments clearly illustrate that if the distinctive

feature is placed on the positive display the probability is high that

the animal will learn the discrimination Conversely the animals have

a very low probability of learning the discrimination if the distinctive

feature is placed on the negative display

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) outline in some detail a formulation

which would explain these results The theory assumes as does our

discussion of AB - A and A - AB discriminations that the display is not

responded to as a unit or whole Hare specifically the distinctive

feature and common features have separate response probabilities associated

with them Further on any distinctive feature trial the animal may

respond to either the distinctive feature or the common feature and the

outcome of the trial affects the response probability of only the feature

that has been responded to Thus while it may be true that both types

of features are seen the distinctive feature and common features act

as independent stimuli

A diagram of this formulation may be seen in Figure 3 ~ne

probability of occurrence of a cd - trial or a c - trial is always 50

16

Figure 3 Tree-diagram of simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature-positive effect The expression P(Rclc) is the

probability of a response to pound when the display only contains

c P(Rclc~d) is the probability of a response topound when the

display containspound and_pound P(Roc) and P(Rocd) are the

probabilities that no response will be made on a pound-only or

pound~-trial respectively P(Rdlcd) is the probability that a

pound response will be made on a poundi trial E1 signifies

reinforcement and E nonreinforcement0

OUTCOME OF RESPONSE

Featuro Positive Featur Neltative

Rc Eo E1

c

Ro Eo Eo

TRIAL Rc E1 Eo

c d lt Rd E1 Eo

Ro Eo Eo

- --J

18

The terms Rpound Rpound and R_2 refer to the type of response that can be made

The term Rpound stands for a response to the distinctive feature while Rc

represents a response made to a common feature and Ro refers to no

response The probabiJity of each type of response varies with the

reinforcement probability for that response

At the outset of any trial containing pound both c and d become

available The animal chooses to respond to pound or to pound and subsequently

receives food (E ) or no food (E ) depending on whether training is with1 0

the feature positive or feature negative On a trial containing only

pound the response has to be made to c It may be noted that a response

to pound either on a poundsect - trial or on a c - only trial is in this

formulation assumed to be an identical event That is an animal does

not differentiate between apound on a poundpound-trial and apound on a c- only trial

Thus the outcomes of a pound response on both types of trials combine to give

a reinforcement probability with a maximum set at 50 This is the

case because throughout this formulation it is assumed that the probability

of making a pound response on pound - only trials is equal to or greater than the

probability of makin a _c response on a c d - trial (P(R I ) gt P (R I d))- -- c c - c c

In the feature positive case the probability of reinforcement

for ad response is fixed at 1 (P(E1 fRd = 1)) On the other hand the

highest probability of reinforcement for a response to pound given the

assumption aboveis 50 (P(E R = 50)) ~1e value of 50 occurs only1 0

when all responses are to poundmiddot As the probability of a response to ~

increases the probability of reinforcement for apound response decreases

The relation betv1ecn these probabilities is given by the following

expression

19

P(E IR )= P(Rcc d)1 c -P(R__IL_)_+_P_(R~I~)-

c cd c c

It is clear then t~ltt the probability of reinforcement for

responding to d is anchored at 1 while the maximum reinforcement probability

for responding to E is 50 This difference in reinforcement probability

is advantageous for a simultaneous discrimination to occur when apoundpound shy

trial is presented Thus while the probability of a i response increases

the probability of reinforcement for a E response decreases because an

increasing proportion of E responses occur on the negative E - only display

There is good reason to expect that the probability of responding

to c on poundpound - trials will decrease more rapidly than the probability of

responding to c on a E - only trial One can expect the response to c

on pound 1pound - trials to diminish as soon as the strength of a i response

excee0s the strength of a c response On the other hand the response

to c on c - only trials will not diminish until the strength of the pound

response falls belov some absolute value necessary to evoke a response

The occurrence of the simultaneous discrimination prior to the formation

of the successive discrimination plays an important role in the present

formulation as it is the process by which the probability of a pound response

is decreased

This expectation is consistent with the results of a previous

experiment (Honig 1962) in which it was found that when animals were

switched from a simultaneous discrimination to a successive discrimination

using the same stimuli the response was not extinguished to the negative

stimulus

In the feature negative case the probability of reinforcement

20

for a response topound (P(S Rd)) is fixed at zero The probability of1

reinforcement for a response to c (P(s 1Rc)) is a function of the1

probability of responding to c on positive trials when only pound is

available and of responding to c on negative trials when both d

and pound are present

Again this may be expressed in the following equation

P(E1 Rc) = P(Rclc) P(Rcc) + P(Rcjcd)

It is clear from this that in the feature negative case the

probability of reinforcement for a pound response cannot fall below 50

As in the feature positive case there is an advantageous

situation for a simultaneous discriminatio1 to occur within thepoundpound

display Responding to pound is never reinforced while a response to pound

has a reinforcerwnt probability of at least 50 Thus one would

expect responding to be centred at c

As the animal does not differentiate a pound response on poundpound

trials from a pound response on pound - only trials he does not cease

respondins on poundpound - trials One way in which this failure to

discriminate could be described is that subjects fail to make a

condi tior-al discrimination based on d If the above explanation

is correct it is necessary for the feature negative animals to

(a) learn to respond to pound and

(b) modify the response to c if c is accompanied by poundbull

The feature positive anir1als on the other hand need only learn to

respond only when pound is present

21

This theory hereafter bwwn as the simultaneous discrimination

theory of discrimination makes some rather specific predictions about

the behaviour of the feature positive and feature negr1tive animals

during training

(a) If the animal does in fact segment the stimulus display

into two elements then one might expect the location of the responding

to be correlated with the location of these elements Further given

that differential responding occurs vJithin a display then one would

expect that in the feature positive condition animals would eventually

confine th~ir response to the locus of the distinctive feature on the

positive display

lhe theory also predicts that localization of responses on d

should precede the elimination of responding on pound-only trials The

theory is not hovrever specific enough to predict the quantitative

nature of this relationship

(b) The feature negative anirals should also form a simultaneous

discrimination and confine their responding to the common features whi1e

responding to~ onpoundpound- trials should cease

(c) Although the theory cannot predict the reason for the

failure of the discrimination to be learned when the distinctive featu-e

is on negative trials it has been suggested that it may be regarded

as a failure to learn a conditional discrimination of the type do

not respond to c if d is present If this is indeed the case the

discrimination shOlld be easier v1hen displays that facilitate the

formation of a conditional discrimination are used

22

The following experiments v1ere desitned to specifically

test these predictions of the theory~

Experiment I was essentially a replication of the Jenkins

amp Sainsbury (1967) dot present - dot absent experiment Added to

this design was the recording of the peck location on both positive

and negative displays This additional informatio~ I)ermi tted the

testing of the prediction of localization on pound by feature positive

subjects (prediction~)

CHAPTER TWO

Experiment I

Subjects and ApEaratus

The subjects throughout all experiments were experimentally

naive male White King pigeons five to six years old All pigeons were

supplied by the Palmetto Pigeon Plant South Carolina USA Pigeons

were fed ad lib for at least two weeks after arrival and were then

reduced to 807~ of their ad lib weight by restricted feeding and were

rrain tained within 56 of this level throughout the experiment

A single key pigeon operant conditioning box of a design similar

to that described by Ferster amp Skinner (1957) was used The key was

exposed to the pigeon through a circular hole 1~ inches in diameter in

the centre of the front panel about 10 inches from the floor of the

box Beneath the response key was a square opening through which mixed

grain could be reached when the tray was raised into position Reinforcement

was signalled by lighting of the tray opening while the tray was available

In all of the experiments to be reported reinforcement consisted of a

four second presentation of the tray

Diffuse illumination of the compartment was provided by a light

mounted in the centre of the ceiling

The compartment was also equipped with a 3 inch sperulter mounted

on the lower left hand corner of the front panel A continuous white

23

24

masking noise of 80 db was fed into the spealer from a 901-B Grasonshy

Stadler white noise generator

In this experiment the location of the key peck was recorded

with the aid of carbon paper a method used by Skinner many years ago

but only recently described (Skinner 1965) The front surface of the

paper on which the stimulus appeared was covered with a clear plastic

film that transmitted the local impact of the peck without being marred

Behind the pattern was a sheet of carbon paper and then a sheet of light

cardboard on which the pecks registered This key assembly was mounted

on a hinged piece of aluminum which closed a miniature switch when

pecked In order to keep the pattern of pecks on positive and negative

trials separate two separate keys each with a stimulus display mounted

on the front of it was used The keys themselves were mounted on a motor

driven transport which could be made to position either key directly

behind the circular opening Prior to a trial the transport was moved

either to the left or to the right in order to bring the positive or

negative display into alignment with the key opening The trial was

initiated by the opening of a shutter which was placed between the

circular opening and the transport device At the same time the display

was front lighted by 6 miniature bulbs (Chicago Hiniature Lamps CN8-680)

mounted behind a diffusing plastic collar placed around the perimeter

of the circular opening At the conpletion of the trial the display

went dark the shutter closed and the transport was driven to a neutral

position The shutter remained closed until the onset of the next trial

The experiment was controlled by a five channel tape reader

25

relay switching circuits and timers Response counts were recorded on

impulse counters

Stimuli

In this experiment one stimulus consisted of a white uniformly

illuminated circular field The second stimulus contained the distinctive

feature which was a black dot 18 inch in diameter whlch appeared on

a uniformly illuminated field The position of the dot was varied in an

irregular sequence among the four locations given by the centers of

imaginary quadrants of the circular key The dot was moved at the midshy

point of each training session (after 20 positive and 20 negative trials)

Training

A discriminated trial procedure (Jenkins 1965) was used in which

trials were marked from the between trial intervals by the lighting of

the response key The compartment itself remained illuminated at all

times All trials positive and negative were terminated (key-light

off) by four pecks or by external control when the maximum trial duration

of seven seconds elapsed before four pecks were made On positive trials

the tray operated immediately after the fourth peck Four pecks are

referred to as a response unit The intervals between trials were

irregular ranging from 30 to 90 seconds with a mean of 60 seconds

Two phases of training preceded differential training In the

first phase the birds were trained to approach quickly and eat from the

grain tray The method of successive approximation was then used to

establish the required four responses to the lighted key Throughout

the initial training the positive pattern was on the key Following

26

initial training which was usually completed in one or two half hour

sessions three automatically programmed pre-differential training

sessions each consisting of 60 positive trials were run

A gono-go discrimination was then trained by successive

presentation of an equal number of positive and negative trials in a

random order Twelve sessions of differential tra~ning each consisting

of 4o positive and 40 negative trials were run The location of the

feature was changed at the mid-point of each session that is after

the presentation of 20 positive and 20 negative trials Positive and

negative trials were presented in random sequences with the restriction

that each block of 40 trials contained 20 positive and 20 negative trials

and no more than three positive or three negative trials occurred in

succession

Measure of Performance

By the end of pre-differential training virtually all positive

trials were being completed by a response unit With infrequent exceptions

all positive trials continued to be completed throughout the subsequent

differential training Development of discrimination was marked by a

reduction in the probability of completing a response unit on negative

trials The ratio of responses on positive trials to the sum of responses

on positive and negative trials was used as a measure of discrimination

Complete discrimination yields a ratio of 10 no discrimination a ratio

of 05 The four-peck response unit was almost always completed if the

first response occurred Therefore it makes little difference whether

one simply counts completed and incompleted response units or the actual

number of responses The ratio index of performance is based on responses

27

per trial for all the experiments reported in this thesis

Ten subjects were divided at random into two groups of five One

group was trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial

the other group was trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

Results1

The average course of discrimination in Experiment 1 is shown

in Figure 4 All of the animals trained with the dot on the positive

trial learned the discrimination That is responses continued to

occur on the positive trials while responses failed to occur on the

negative trials None of the five animals trained with the dot on

negative trials learned the discrimination This is evidenced by the 50

ratio throughout the training period Typically the feature positive

animals maintained asymptotic performance on positive trials while

responding decreased on negative trials Two of the five feature positive

animals learned the discrimination with very few errors During all of

discrimination training one animal made only 4 negative responses while

the other made 7 responses Neither animal completed a single response

unit on a negative trial

1A detailed description of the data for each animal appears in Appendix A

28

Figure 4 Median ratio of responses on positive trials to total

responses when the distinctive feature (dot) is on positive or

negative trials

29

0 0

0

I 0

I 0

0

0

0

~0 vi 0~

sect

~ I

I

~

I

~ I I I ~

()

c w 0 z

I ()

0 ~ ~ ()

0 lt1gt ()

I ~

Dgt I c ~ c

cu L

1-shy--------- I------1~

copy

~ CXl - (J

0 en CX) (pound)

0 0 0

oqee~

copy

30

Peck Location

Each of the five subjects in the feature positive group of

Experioent 1 centred their pecks on the dot by the end of training Two

of the five centred their responding on the dot during pre-differential

training when the dot appeared on every trial and all trials were

reinforced Centering developed progressively during differential training

in the remaining three subjects

The two subjects that pecked at the dot during pre-differential

training did so even during the initial shaping session Sample records

for one of these animals is shown in Figure 5 The centering of the peck

on the dot followed the changing location of the dot These were the two

subjects that made very few responses on the negative display It is

apparent that the dot controlled the responses from the outset of

training

A typical record made by one of the remaining three feature

positive animals is shown in Figure 6 The points of impact leaves a

dark point while the sweeping lines are caused by the beak skidding

along the surface of the key The first sign of centering occurs in

session 2 As training progresses the pattern becomes more compact in

the area of the dot By session 2 it is also clear that the pecks are

following the location of the dot A double pattern of responding was

particularly clear in sessions 32 and 41 and was produced when the

key was struck with an open beak The location of the peck on the

negative display although diffuse does not seem to differ in pattern

from session to session It is also clear from these records that the

31

Figure 5 Records of peck location for a subject trained with

the dot on the positive trial Durlllg pre-differential training

only positive trials were presented Dot appeared in one of two

possible positions in an irregular sequence within each preshy

differential session PRE 2 - LL is read pre-differential

session number 2 dot in centre of lower left quadrant

Discrimination refers to differential training in which positive

and negative trials occur in random order Location of dot

remains fixed for 20 positive trials after which it changes to

a new quadrant for the remaining 20 positive trials 11 POS UR

is read first discrimination session first 20 positive trials

dot in centre of upper right quadrant

PRE 2- L L

W-7

PRE TRAINING

PRE2-UR

FEATURE POSITIVE

11

DISCRIMINATION

POS-UR 11 NEG

middot~ji ~~

PRE3 -UL PRE3-LR 12 POS-LL 12 NEG

M fiJ

33

Figure 6 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the positive trial Notation as in Figure 5

W- 19 Dot Positive

11 POS-UR 11 NEG 31 POS-LL 31 NEG

12 POS-LL 12 NEG 32 POS-U R 32 NEG

21 POS-UL 21 NEG 41 POS -UL 41 NEG

22 POS-L R 22 NEG 42 POS-L R 42 NEG

35

cessation of responding to the negative display occurred vell after the

localization on the dot had become evident All these features of the

peck location data except for the double cluster produced by the open

beak responding were present in the remaining two animals

None of the animals trained with the dot on the negative trials

centered on the dot during differential training A set of records

typical of the five birds trained under the feature negative condition

are shown in Figure 7 A concentration of responding also appears to

form here but it is located toward the top of the key Further there

seems to be no differentiation in pattern between positive and negative

displays The position of the preferred section of the key also varied

from bird to bird Vfuile the bird shown in Figure 7 responded in the

upper portion of the key other birds preferred the right side or bottom

of the key

There was a suggestion in certain feature negative records that

the peck location was displaced away from the position of the dot The

most favourable condition for observing a shift away from the dot arises

when the dot is moved into an area of previous concentration Two

examples are shown in Figure 8 In the first half of session 6 for

subject W-3 the dot occupies the centre of the upper left quadrant

Pecks on the positive and negative display have their points of impact

at the lower right edge of the key In the second half of the session

the dot was moved to the lower right hand quadrant Although the initial

points of impact of responding on the negative display remained on the

right side of the key they seemed to be displaced upwards away from the

dot A similar pattern of responding was suggested in the records for

36

Figure 7 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for a subject trained with the dot

on the negative trial Notation as in Figure 5

B-45 Dot Negative

12 POS 12 NEG-LL 61 POS 61 NEG-UL

31 POS 31 NEG-UR 91 POS 91 NEG-UR

41 POS 41 NE G-UL 102 POS 102 NEG-LR

51 POS 51 NEG-UR 122 POS 122 N EG-LR

Figure 8 Records of peck location during differential

discrimination training for two subjects trained with the

dot on the negative trial The records for Subject W-3

were taken from the sixth session and those of W-25 from

the twelfth session Notation as in Figure 5

W-3 Dot Negative w- 25 Dot Negative

51 POS middot 61 NEG-Ul 121 POS 121 NEGmiddotUL

52 POS 62 NEG-LR 122 122 N E G-L R

VI

40

W-25 within session 12

Discussion

These results are consistent with those of Jenkins amp Sainsbury

(1967) in that the feature positive effect was clearly demonstrated

The peck location data are also consistent with the implications

of the simultaneous discrimination theory It is clear that the feature

positive animals centered their peck location on the dot The fact that

two feature positive animals centered on the dot from the outset of

training was not predicted by the theory However the result is not

inconsistent with the theory The complete dominance of ~ over pound responses

for whatever reason precludes the gradual acquisition of a simultaneous

discrimination through the action of differential reinforcement As

the subject has never responded to or been reinforced for a response to

pound one would expect little responding to occur when ~ was not present

For the remaining subjects trained under the feature positive

condition the simultaneous discrimination develops during differential

training The formation of the simultaneous discrinination is presumably

as a consequence of differential trainirg However it is possible that

the centering would have occurred naturally as it did in the two subjects

who centered prior to differential training

The successive discrimination appears to lag the formation of

the simultaneous discrimination ofpound andpound on the positive display This

supports the belief that the successive discrimination is dependent on

the formation of the simultaneous discrin1ination

In the feature negative condition the simultaneous discrimination

41

theory predicts the displacement of responses from ~ to pound on negative

trials The evidence for this however was only minimal

CHAPTER THREE

Experiment II

Although the results of Experiment I were consistent

with the simultaneous discrimination theory of the feature

positive effect they leave a number of questions unanswered

First is_the convergence of peck location on the positive

distinctive feature produced by differential training

The peck location data in the feature positive condition

of Experiment I showed the progressive development during

differential training of a simultaneous discrimination within

the positive display (ie peck convergence on the dot) except

in those cases in which centering appeared before differential

training began It is not certain however that the

convergence was forced by a reduction in the average probability

of reinforcement for pound responses that occurs when differential

discrimination training begins It is conceivable that

convergence is always produced not by differential training

but by whatever caused convergence prior to differential training

in some subjects Experiment II was designed to find out whether

the feature converged on within the positive display in fact

depends on the features that are present on the negative display

42

According to the simultaneous discrimination theory

the distinctive feature will be avoided in favour of common

features when it appears on negative trials The results of

Experiment I were unclear on this point The displays used

in Experiment II provided a better opportunity to examine

the question The displays in Experiment II were similar to

the asymmetrical pair in the third row of Figure 1 In the

displays previously used the common feature was a background

on which the distinctive feature appeared In the present

case however both common and distinctive features appear as

localized objects or figures on the ground It is of interest

to learn whether the feature positive effect holds for displays

of this kind

Further the status of common and distinctive features

was assessed by presenting during extinction displays from

which certain parts had been removed By subtracting either

the distinctive feature or common features it was possible to

determine whether or not responding was controlled by the

entire display or by single features within the display

Finally it may be noted that in the previous experiment

as well as the Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) experiments only the

positive display was presented during the pre-differential phase

of training Since the positive display contains the distinctive

feature for subjects trained under the feature positive condition

it can be argued that these subjects begin differential training

44

with an initial advantage Although this interpretation seems

unlikely in that the feature negative subjectG never show signs

of learning the most direct test of it is to reinforce both

types of displays during pre-differential training This was

done in Experiment II Both groups (ie~ feature positive and

feature negative) received equal experience prior to differential

training

Method

The general method of this experiment was the same for

the previous experiment However new apparatus was developed

to permit electro-mechanical recording of response location

Apparatus

Tv1o automatic pigeon key-pecking boxes manufactured by

Lehigh Valley Electronics were used The boxes were of

essentially the same design as that used in Experiment I except

that the diffuse illumination of the compartment was given by

a No 1820 miniature bulb mounted above the key in a housing

which directed the light up against the ceiling of the box

Displays were back projected onto a square surface of

translucent plastic that measured 1 716 inches on a side The

display surface was divided into four equal sections 1116 inch

on a side Each of these sections operated as an independent

response key so that it was possible to determine the sector of

the display on which the response was made The sectors were

separated by a 116 inch metal strip to reduce the likelihood

that more than one sector would be activated by a single peck

A Kodak Carousel Model 800 projector was used to present

the displays The voltage across the bulb was reduced to 50

volts A shutter mounted behind the display surface was used to

control the presentation of the display Both experimental

chambers were equipped in this way One central unit was used

to programme the trial sequence and to record the results from

both chambers Each chamber was serviced in a regularly

alternating sequence

Stimuli

The pairs of displays used in the present experiment and

a notation for the two types of displays are shown in Figure 9

The figures appeared as bright objects on a dark ground They

were located at the center of the sectors One sector of the

display was always blank The circles had a diameter of 4 inch

and the five pointed star would be circumscribed by a circle of

that size

There are 12 spatial arrangements of the figures for a

display containing a distinctive feature and 4 arrangements for

the display containing only common features An irregular

sequence of these arrangements was used so that the location of

the features changed from trial to trial

Recording

As in the previous experiment four pecks anywhere on the

display terminated a trial The number of responses made on each

46

sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli in

each sector were recorded trial by trial n printing counters

These data were manually transferred to punched cards and

analyzed with the aid of a computer

Training

In all six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials

each were run prior to differential discrimination training

Each member of the pair of displays later to be discriminated

middot was presented 36 times All trials were reinforced The maximum

trial duration was 7 seconds Intertrial intervals varied from

44 to 62 seconds The first three sessions of pre-differential

training were devoted to establishing the four-peck response

unit to the display In the first two of these sessions an

autoshaping procedure of the type described by Brown and Jenkins

(1968) was used After training to eat from the grain tray

every 7-seccnd trial-on period was automatically followed at

the offset of the trial by a 4-second tray operation unless a

response occurred during the trial In that event the trial

was terminated immediately and the tray was operated Of the 16

animals exposed to this procedure 5 had not pecked by the end of

the second session The key peck was quickly established in

these animals by the usual procedure of reinforcing successive

approximations to the peck In the third session of initial

training the tray operated only following a response to the trial

The number of responses required was raised gradually from one to

47

Figure 9 Two pairs of displays used in Experiment II

and a general notation representing distinctive and common

features

0

48

0 0

0

1~r~ -middotmiddotj__middot-middot

~---middotmiddot~middot-~middotmiddot~J c = comn1on featurec cc c

middotc-shyd d = distinctive feature lld~~~-~=--=s~

49

four The remaining three sessions of pre-differential training

were run with the standard response requirement of four pecks

before 7 seconds

Twelve sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial interval were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive or reinforced

display and 36 presentations of the negative display The

sequence of presentations was random except for the restriction

of not more than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

After the completion of 12 training sessions 5 sessions

of 72 trials each were run in extinction On each session 6

different displays were presented twice in each of 6 randomized

blocks of 12 presentations The displays consisted of the

o~iginal pair of positive and negative displays and four other

displays on which just one or two figures (circles or stars)

appeared The new displays will be specified when the test

results are reported

Design

There were two pairs of displays one pair in which the

circle was the distinctive feature (stars common) and one pair

in which the star was the distinctive feature (circles common)

Within each pair the display containing the distinctive feature

50

was either positive or negative The combinations resulted in

four conditions To each condition four subjects were assigned

at random All conditions were run equally in each of the two

experimental boxes

Results

The training results are presented for each of the

feature positive groups in Figures 10 and 11 The median values

for two discrimination ratios are plotted The index for the

successive discrimination is as before the ratio of responses

on the positive display to total responses A similar ratio is

used as an index of the development of a simultaneous discrimination

within the display containing the distinctive feature namely the

ratio of responses made on a sector containing the distinctive

feature to the total responses on all sectors of the display

The results for subjects trained with the distinctive

feature of a circle on positive trials are shown in Figure 10

During pre-differential training (first three sessions shown on

the far left) virtually all positive and negative trials were

completed by response units yielding a ratio of 05 for the index

of successive discrimination The ratio of circle responses to all

responses within the positive display averaged 52 during preshy

differential training Since a negligible number of responses

occur on the blank sector the ratio expected ori the basis of an

equal distribution of responses to circle ru1d star is approximately

51

Figure 10 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on positive trial (see

text for explanation of index for simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display)

0

Lo ~r---------------1 o-o-_~ I -o9 I1middot oa fttshyri

oi-

Ibull

-t-J (lj 06~-I 0 t

Wbullthbulln

o--o-o bull05r o-o-0c

(lj j 0 041-shy(i)

~2 ~

03 tshy1

02 rshy1

01 ~ I

0 B I I j 1 2 3

---gPos~1

I middot ooII POS

I

I I

I o I

I 0--0I I

I

1 2

[]-~

I bull

o

_ SUCCESSIVE

I I I

3 4 5 6

Training Sessions

ltDlto _o=8=g==o - o o--o-

i NEG II~ I~ I I

1

i i Ibull i

~

r~

I -l -~7 8 9 10 11 1~2 [)

53

Figure 11 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature ou positive trial

10

0 9 i-I I

08 ~ i ~ ~o7 I

0 ~ i fU ~-et

o s L o--o-o c 1 ro D 04 ~ CJ ~ 2

03 r ~ _

021shy

I ~

o

t1

0 1 ~-

___ _o O i I_ _

0 I I

2 3

1 I p OS NEG

0 I

I~ 0 I [ ~ I 1 o-shyI oI I SUCCESSIVE I ~

I o--o-0 -o--o

I oI I

0

I

I

01~within Pos

I II

I

I --0o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Training Sessions

0 -o ~ iI

g~ 0 I 0 I

o---9 11 ~

8 9 10 11 12

t

55 33 The ratios obtained consistently exceeded this value in

three of the four subjects reflecting a preference for pecking

the circle The remaining animal distributed its responses about

equally between circle and star

Differential training produced a sharp increase in the

ratio of circle responses to all responses within the positive

display as shown by the index of simultaneous discrimination

within the positive display After the response had converged

on the circle within positive displays responding on the negative

display began to drop out This is shown by a rising value of the

index of successive discrimination Each of the four subjects

developed a clear successive discrimination The range of values

for the index of successive discrimination on the last session

was 93 to 10

Results for those trained with the star as the distinctive

feature on the positive display are shown in Figure 11 In the

pre-differential phase of training the star was avoided in

favour of the circle by all four animals During differential

training responses within the positive display shifted toward the

star However an average of five sessions was required before

the initial preference for circle over star had been reversed

The successive discrimination was correspondingly slow to develop

One subject did not show a clear preference for the star over the

circle within the positive display until the twelfth session

Its index for the simultaneous discrimination in that session was

56

only 48 and the successive discrimination failed to develop

In the remaining three subjects the index of successive

discrimination in the last session ranged from 96 to 10

In both groups of feature positive subjects the

~gtimultaneous discrimination developed prior to the formation of

the successive discrimination Figures 12 and 13 are representative

of the performance of the subjects in each of the feature positive

groups

It should be noted at this point that although only

four reqponses were required on any given trial some subjects

responded so rapidly that five responses were made before the

trial could be terminated Thus while there was a theoretical

ceiling of 144 responses per session for each type of trial some

subjects managed to exceed this value Both subjects represented

in Figure 12 and 13 exceeded the 144 responses at some point in

training

From Figures 12 and 13 it is clear that responding to

c on pound-trials declined prior to the decline in responding to

c on _pound-only trials Further as responding to pound on pound-trials

decreased so also did the percentage of total pound responses that

were reinforced During session one 50 percent of the pound responses

made by subject B-66 were reinforced By session three however

only 39 percent were reinforced and by session four 29 percent

Only after this level was reached did the subject start to

decrease responding topound on pound-only trials Similarly only 33

57

Figure 12~ Total number of responses made to common

elements on poundE trials and on _s-only trials during each

session of training for subject B-66 The distinctive

feature (circle) appeared on positive trials

58

o-obullj ~(

bull

1 2

180

0 ~ o-o B-66

POS NEG

1 1 II

bull I I

Ien I

I en I c I 0 I a RESPONSE TO ~ en I bull 0~ON c -ONLY TRIALS 0 I

I

0 I I I

L I I8 I RESPONSE TO ~E I

J I ~-ON c d TRIALS z I

I 0 I

I ~ I

I

I 0 I I I I I I I I I I

bullmiddot-middotI I bull bull -bull o_o_I 0 I I 0L_L_L_L~--bull-~-_-middot0- 0 11 12

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Training Sessions

59

Figure 13 Total number of responses made to common elements

on pound~ trials and on pound-only trials during each session of

training for subject B-68 The distinctive feature (star)

appeared on positive trials

60

180

I

0-o I I I I

I B-68 POS NEG

01 I I I 1 II I I I I I I I I I

SPONSE TO II RE ONLY TRIALS ON c-I I I I I I I

e-o I bull

I

RESPONSE TO ~

ON c d -TRIALS

------middot-middot

bull bull- bull_ ~ o-o -o-oo-=--o-oshy0 I I I u 10 11 12I~I 56 7 8 92 3 2 3

Training Sessions

61

percent of the pound responses made by subject B-68 were reinforced

on session one and on session two this percentage dropped to 8

percent Responding to pound on pound-only trials did not dimish

however until session three

Of the eight feature positive subjects five subjects

decreased their responding topound on pound-only trials (ie a decline

of 20 or more in pound-only responses from one session to the next)

only after the percentage of reinforcedpound responses averaged

2between 2 and 12 percent Two subjects (one from each group)

showed ~evelopment of the successive discrimination (a decline

of 20 percent or more in pound-only responses from one session to

the next) when the percentace of pound responses that were reinforced

averaged 20 and 36 percent respectively The eighth subject

failed to form a successive discrimination

Although the averaged data shown in Figures 10 and 11

show a more gradual curve of learning when the star was the

distinctive feature (Figure 11) individual learning curves show

that once the discrimination begins to form it proceeds at about

the same rate in both groups3

2The average percent of pound responses that were reinforced was calculated by averaging the percentage for the session on which the 20 percent decrease in responding on pound-only trials was observed with the percentage for the previous session

3session by session response data for individual subjects may be found in Appendix B

62

A comparison of Figures 10 and 11 suggests that the rate

of formation of the successive discrimination depended on the degree

of initial preference for the distinctive feature during preshy

differential training This is borne out by an examination of

individual performance For the eight animals trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials the rank order correlation

between the mean ratio for the simultaneous discrimination during

the three sessions of pre-differential training and the mean ratio

for successive discrimination taken over the twelve sessions of

differential training was +90

Results for the two groups trained with the distinctive

feature on negative trials are shown in Figure 14 (circle is

distinctive feature) and 15 (star is distinctive feature) The

results for pre-differential training replicate those obtained

in the feature-positive group An initial preference for the circle

over the star was again evident ~Jring differential training

responses to the distinctive feature within the negative display

diminished in f3vour of responses to the common feature Although

it is clear in every case that avoidance of the distinctive feature

increased as training continued the process was more pronounced

when the circle was the distinctive feature (Figure 14) since

the circle was initially preferred Responses to the star when

it served as the distinctive feature (Figure 15) on the other

hand were relatively infrequent even at the outset of differential

4t ra~n~ng

4A more complete description of the peck location results for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

63

Figure ~4 Median discrimination indices for group trained

with circle as distinctive feature on negative trial

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

() (J)

CJ) c c cu L Ishy

00

I J

oo1

0 0) co ([) 1[) (Y) J

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

65

Figure 15 Hedian discrimination indices for group trained

with star as distinctive feature on negative trial

G6

0

I 0

I 0

0

I lil 0

~ I ~ ~0

I 0

0

I 0

I 0

I 0

- (J

(f)

c 0 (f) (f)

lt1gt tJ)

(1)

c c co L ~-

0 0

I 0 0

I 0 0

0 (]) 1- ([) I[) M (Jco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

67

None of the eight subjects trained with the distinctive

feature on the negative trial showed a significant reduction of

responses to the negative trial A successive discrimination

did not develop in the feature negative condition

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on positive trials developed the successive

discrimination a clear feature positive effect was obtained

A statistical comparison of the successive discrimination indices

on the last session of training yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 55 P lt 01)5

The relative frequency of responding to various displays

during extinction test sessions is shown for each of the four

groups in Figure 16 A simple pattern was evident for animals

trained with the distinctive feature on the positive trial All

displays containing the distinctive feature were responded to at

approximately the same high level regardless of whether or how

many com~on features accompanied the distinctive feature The

distinctive feature functioned as an isolated element independent

of the context afforded by the common features All displays not

containing the distinctive feature evoked a relatively low level

of responding

Results for subjects trained with the distinctive feature

on the negative trial were somewhat more complex The displays

5A Mann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons All probabilities are for a two tailed test

68

Figure 16 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups of Experiment II Displays labelled positive and

negative are those used in discrimination training but

during the test all trials were nonreinforced Position

of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during the test sessions The open bars represent

subjects trained with the circle as the distinctive feature

while striped bars represent the subjects trained with the

star as the distinctive feature

feature positive 36

32

28

24

20shy

()

() 1 6 ()

c 0 12 -0

~ 8 0

4

0 POS NEG

+shy0 ~ cl EJD

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 TG

feature negative24

20

c 16 ro D () 12

2 8

4 ~ ~L-0

POS NEG

~~-c Jl~ c] DEJ T2 T1 T4 T3 TG T5

TEST STIMULI

70

that were positive (T2) and negative (Tl) during training evoked

approximately an equal nu~ber of responses in extinction A

statistical evaluation yielded a non-significant difference between

6the performance on the two displays ( T = 10 P gt 10) bull The failure

of successive discrimination during training continues during middot

extinction tests A comparison of the number of responses made

to displays T3 and T4 indicated that the display containing the

distinctive feature and one common feature evoked on the average

a little less responding than the display containing just two

common features Seven of the eight animals showed a difference

in this direction the remaining animal responded equally to the

two displays One cannot conclude from this however that the

distinctive feature reduced responding to the common features since

the difference might also be attributed to the removal of one

common feature Indeed when the level of responding to display

T6 was compared with that for the display containing one common

feature plus the distinctive feature (T3) it was found that the

levels were entirely indistinguishable The most striking effect

was that the display containing only the distinctive feature (T5)

evoked a much lower level of responding in every animal than any

display containing one or more common features It is therefore

clear that the distinctive feature was discriminated from the

common feature as one would expect from the training results on

6A Wilcoxen matched-pairs Signed-ranks T~st was used for comparing the perfor~ance of the same animal on different displays

71

the simultaneous discrimination The failure to discriminate

between the originally positive and negative displays does not

reflect a failure to discriminate between common and distinctive

features Ra tJur it reflects the strong tendency to respond

to a common feature regardless of the presence or absence of the

distinctive feature on the same display

Discussion

The results of Experiment II answer a number of the

questions posed by the simultaneous discrimination theory and

resolve a number of the uncertainties left by Experiment I The

feature positive effect is still clearly evident Further this

effect cannot be attributed to any presumed advantage to the

feature positive group owing to the presence of the distinctive

feature during pre-differential training for that group It may

be remembered that in the present experiment all animals were

exposed to the distinctive feature during pre-differential

training

Secondly it is now clear that convergence on the

distinctive feature within the positive display can be forced by

differential training Although there ~ere some strong tendencies

to peck at one shape rather than another during pre-differential

training the same physical stimulus (star or circle) was converged

on or avoided depending on whether it served as a distinctive

feature or a common feature

It is also clear that when the distinctive feature was

72

placed on the negative display differential training caused the

location of the peck to move away from the distinctive feature

toward the common feature

These results then agree at least qualitatively with

the simultaneous discrimination theory Vfuen the distinctive

feature was on the positive display the response converged on it

in preference to the common feature ~~en the distinctive feature

was on the negative display the response moved away from it toward

the common feature Convergence on the distinctive feature within

the positive display drives the probability of reinforcement for

a response to common features toward zero and thus allows the

successive discrimination to form On the other hand divergence

from the distinctive feature within the negative display leaves the

probability of reinforcement for a response to common features

at 5 and the response therefore continued to occur to both

members of the pair of displays

The failure of the successive discrimination to develop in

the feature negative case may be ascribed to the inability of

the pigeon to form a conditional discrimination The animal was

required to learn that the same common feature say a circle

which predicts reinforcement when not accompanied by a star

predicts nonreinforcement when the star is present on the same

display Response to the circle must be made conditional upon

the presence or absence of the star Although it is clear that

the star was discriminated from the circle the presence of the

star failed to change the significance of the circle

CHAPTER FOUR

Experiment III

It has been suggested that the failure of the feature

negative subjects to withhold responding on negative trials may

be regarded as a failure to form a conditional discrimination

While both groups learn through reinforcement the significance

of c and d as independent elements the feature negative subjects

must in addition learn to withhold responses to pound when d is

present Thus the failure of the feature negative subjects to

learn would seem to be a failure of d to conditionalize the response

to c The feature positive subjects on the other hand need

only learn to respond to ~ and are therefore not required to

conditionalize their response to ~ on the presence of any other

stimulus

This interpretation suggests a modification of the displays

that might be expected to facilitate the formation of the

discrimination It seems likely that the influence of d on c

responses would be enhanced by decreasing the spatial separation

between c and d elements This could be accomplished by presenting

the elements in more compact clusters In the previous experiment

no c element was more than one inch from a d element on the pound~

display so that both elements were very probably within the

73

74

visual field in the initial stage of approach to the key

However in the final stages of the peck perhaps the d element

was outside the visual field However that may be a decrease

in separation between pound and ~ elements would ensure that both

were at or near the centre of the visual field at the same time

The extensive literature on the effects of separation

between cue and response on discrimination learning (Miller amp

Murphy 1964 Murphy ampMiller 1955 1958 Schuck et al 1961

Stollnitz amp Schrier 1962 Stollnitz 1965) is suggestive in

the present connection However a number of assumptions are

required to coordinate those experiments with the present

discrimination task

If compacting the display facilitates a conditional

discrimination its effect should be specific to the feature

negative condition since as was suggested a conditional

discrimination is not involved in the feature positive condition

The present experiment permits a comparison of the effect of

compacting the display on discrimination learning in both the

feature positive and feature negative arrangements

It is hypothesized that making the display more compact

will facilitate the development of the successive discrimination

in the feature negative case but will have little or no effect

on performance in the feature positive case

Several additional implications of the view that the

effectiveness of a negative distinctive feature in preventing a

75

response to pound depends on its proximity to pound are explored in

a special test series following differential discrimination

training

In Experiment II a strong initial preference for

pecking at the circle was evident during pre-differential

training In an effort to reduce this preference new stimuli

were used in Experlllent III Red and green circles on a dark

ground were chosen as stimuli on the basis of the resul1sof a

preliminary experiment which was designed to select two colours

which would be responded to approximately equally often when

both were presented on a single display7

In Experiment III four elements appeared on each display

The elimination of the blank sector used in Experiment II

allowed a more accurate assessment of the role of position

preference in the formation of the discrimination In Experiment

II the blank sector was rarely responded to and therefore

affected the pattern of responding so that if the blank appeared

in the preferred sector the animal was forced to respond in

another sector In Experiment III the animal may respond in

any sector Therefore the response should be controlled only

by position preference and element preference

7A description of the preliminary experiment as well as a discussion of the failure of the results to predict element preferences in the present experiment may be found in Appendix D

76

Method

The same general method as was used in the previous

experiments was used here The apparatus was identical to

that used in Experiment II

Stimuli

A representation of the training and test displays

used in the present experiment are shown in Figure 17 Figure

17 contains the notation system previously employed in Experiment

II instead of the actual stimuli Again pound refers to common

elements while ~ represents the distinctive feature In the

distributed condition one circle appeared in the center of each

sector of the display The circles were separated by 1216 of

an inch (from centre to centre) The diagonal circles were 1516

of an inch apart

In the compact condition the 18 inch coloured circles

all appeared in one sector of the display The circles were

separated by 316 of an inch from centre to centre The diagonal

circles were 516 of an inch apart

The circles were coloured either red or green The physical

and visual properties of these stimuli are described in the method

section of Appendix D The circles were of the same size brightness

and colour in the distributed and compact displays

There were four spatial arrangements of the distributed

display which contained the distinctive feature A random sequence

of these arrangements was used so that the location of the feature

varied from trial to trial Each arrangement appeared equally

77

Figure 17 Pairs of displays used in Experiment III As

before poundrefers to common features while the distinctive

feature is represented by ~middot

78

TRAINING DISPLAYS

Feature Positive Feature Negative + +

c c

d c

c c

c c

c c

c c

c c

d c

c c

d c

c c c c c c c c c cd c c c d c

TEST DISPLAYS

c c c c d c c c

1 2 3

c c

c c c c d cd c c c

6 7 8

c c

c c

79 often during an experimental session Similarly on the compact

display there were four spatial arrangements within each sector

There were also four possible sectors that could be used This

yielded sixteen possible displays containing the distinctive

feature and four which contained only common elements These

displays were also presented in a random order Each type of

distinctive feature display appeared at least twice during an

experimental session and each display had appeared 9 times within

blocks of four sessions Each type of common trial appeared

equally often during an experimental session

Recording

As in all the previous experiments four responses

anywhere on the display terminated the trial The number of

responses made to each sector of the display and the elements

present on each sectorwererecorded These data were recorded

on paper tape and analyzed with the aid of a computer

No peck location data were available for the compact

groups because the four elements appeared on a single sector of

the display Thus the formation of a simultaneous discrimination

in the compact condition could not be examined

Training

Six sessions consisting of 72 reinforced trials each

were run prior to differential training Thirty-six common

trials and 36 distinctive feature trials were presented and

reinforced during each session The maximum trial duration was

7 seconds while intertrial intervals ranged between 41r and 62

Bo seconds

As in Experiment II three sessions were devoted to

establishing the four-peck response unit to the display In

the first two of these sessions an auto-shaping procedure

identical to that used in Experiment II was employed Of the

32 subjects exposed to the auto-shaping procedure only 4 failed

to make a response by the end of sessio~ two The key peck was

quickly established in these animals by the reinforcing of

successive approximations to the peck In the third session of

pre-differential training the tray operated only following a

response to the trial The number of responses required was

gradually raised to four The remaining three pre-differential

training sessions were run with the standard response requirement

of four pecks before seven seconds in effect

Sixteen sessions of differential discrimination training

were run The trial duration and intertrial intervals were as

in the pre-differential sessions Each differential session

consisted of 36 presentations of the positive display and 36

presentations of the negative display The sequence of

presentations was random except for the restriction of not more

than three consecutive positive or negative trials

Post-discrimination Training Tests

At the completion of training extinction tests were

run in which the eight types of displays shown in Figure 17 were

presented The order of presentation was randomized vtithin blocks

81

of 24 trials in which each of the eight display types appeared

three times A session consisted of 3 blocks making a total of

72 trials 9 of each type Five sessions were run

Design

Eight groups of subjects were used in a 2 x 2 x 2

factorial design which is shown in Table 1 The factors were

compact - distributed feature positive - feature negative

and red - green distinctive feature The distributed groups

in this experiment are simply a replication of Experiment II with

the exception of the change in stimuli used All conditions were

run equally in each of two experimental boxes

Results

Training Results

Terminal performance The mean successive discrimination

index on the last session of training for each group is shown

in Table 2 It is clear that while the means for the feature

positive groups do not differ the means for the two compact

feature negative groups are considerably higher than those for

the distributed feature negative groups Thus it would appear

that while compacting the displays aided the discrimination in

the feature negative condition it had little effect in the

feature positive condition

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance was performed

using the successive discrimination index scores on the last

session of training The results of this analysis may be found

inTable 3 Two of the main factors (distributed-compact and

feature positive-feature negative) produced significant effects

82

Table 1

Experimental Design Used in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Positive N = 4 N = 4

Red Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Green Feature Negative N = 4 N = 4

Note N refers to the number of subjects used

83

Table 2

Mean Successive Discrimination Indices on the Last Session

of Training for All Eight Groups in Experiment III

Display Condition

Distributed Compact

Red Feature Positive 99 -97 Green Feature Positive 87 96

Red Feature Negative 54 85 Green Feature Negative 51 -73

84

The red-green factor was not statistically significant From

this it is clear that the colour of the distinctive feature had

no effect on the final level of discrimination The only intershy

action which proved to be significant was between distributedshy

compact and the feature positive-feature negative variables

This result is consistent with the prediction t~at compacting

should only aid the discrimination in the feature negative case

The remainder of the results section is concerned with

the course of learning within the several groups as well as

more detailed comparisons of the final performance levels of

these groups

Distributed groups During pre-differential training

13 of the 16 subjects in the distributed groups exhibited an

above chance level preference for red circles The mean

proportion of responses made to red circles during pre-differential

training for each subject are shown in Table 4 All four red

feature positive subjects responded at an above chance level

(chance = 25) to the red circles Similarly all four green

feature positive subjects showed this preference for red circles

(chance level= 75) In the red feature negative group one

subject failed to respond to the red circle during pre-differential

training while the remaining three subjects responded at an above

chance level (chance = 25) to the red circle In the green

feature negative group the results are less clear One subject

responded at a chance level (75) while one subject preferred to

Table 3

Analysis of Variance for the Last Session of Training

Source df MS F

Distributed-Compact 1 177013 1276 Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 690313 4975 Red-Green 1 37813 273 Distributed-Compact x Feature Positive-Feature Negative 1 108113 ) 779 Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 3-13 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Red-Green 1 113 Feature Positive-Feature Negative x Distributed-Compact x Red-Green 1 19010 137 Within 24 13875

bull p lt 05 p lt 01

Table 4

Proportion of Responses on cd-display Made to Red Circle During Pre-differential Training for

Individual Subjects (Distributed Groups)

Condition

Red Feature Positive Green Feature Positive Red Feature Negative Green Feature Negative (chance = 25) (chance = 75) (chance = 25) (chance = 75)

32 -97 56 75

34 10 43 91

74 10 36 87

61 85 oo 46

0 00

87

respond to the green circles~ The remaining two subjects had a

strong preference for the red circles It is clear then that

the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the strong

initial preferences for one element over another

The simultaneous and successive discrimination ratios

for the four groups that received distributed displays during

pre-differential and differential train~g are presented in

Figures 18 and 19 All four of the red feature positive

subjects (Figure 18) learned the successive discrimination while

three of the four green feature positive subjects (Figure 19)

learned the discrimination Without exception all the feature

positive subjects that learned the successive discrimination

showed evidence of learning a simultaneous discrimination prior

8to the formation of the successive discrimination The one

subject that failed to develop a successive discrimination also

failed to show a simultaneous discrimination

It is clear from Figures 18 and 19 that the group trained

with the red circle as the distinctive feature learned the

discrimination more quickly than the group trained with the green

circle as the distinctive feature The red feature positive

subjects took an average of three sessions to reach a successive

discrimination index of 80 while green feature positive subjects

took an average of eleven or twelve sessions to reach the same

8session by session data for each subject may be found in Appendix C

88

Figure 18 Hedian discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

positive trial

CD

1 VI

0 0 c

0 IIJ 0 bull c ~~ IIJ L

I a 0

IIJ

L OlI ~ z~ II III middoty~

olvmiddot 0 u

1 ()

0 bull c 0 I ()0 0 () (J)

0 bull 1

II 0 bull 0gt

cIV w cG) gt 0 L~ ~ rshyio g

~ middot~ 0bull 0

ymiddot I

bull 0

bull 0

0 co I CD ltt C1 0gt 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

oqDCJ UDP8VJ

90

Figure 19 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with the green circle as distinctive feature

on the positive trial

1 0

09

08

0 7 0 middot shy+-

060 0

o 5l o-0 -o c 0 middot shy0 0 4 (])

2 03

0 2

0 1

I --middot 0 1 2 3

bull

I0

SUCCESSIVE

o-o-o-0-0---o--o7-o-o middot POS NEG

lcCl fCCl ~ ~

bull d =-green

c =-red

bull bullbull~middot-middot

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Training Sessions

--bull-middot - o-o-bull_bull- o-obull

0

92

level A comparison of the overall mean ratios of the successive

discrimination for the 16 sessions yielded a significant difference

between the two groups (U = 0 P lt05) 9bull This difference between

the two groups is related to the colour preference evident during

pre-differential training The rank order correlation between

the mean ratio for simultaneous discrimination during the three

pre-differential training sessions and ~he mean ratio for

successive discrimination over the sixteen sessions of differential

training was bull77 ( P lt 05)

A comparison of the successive discrimination ratios on

the last session of training revealed that there were no significant

differences between the red and green feature positive groups (U =

45 P) 10) Thus while colour affected the rate of learning

it had no effect on the final level of discrimination

None of the feature negative subjects that received

distributed displays learned the successive discrimination Figures

20 and 21 trace the performance of the red and green feature

negative groups throughout training

During differential training responses shifted away from

the distinctive feature toVIard the common feature In the red

feature negative group the transition took an average of only two

sessions Similarly in the green feature negative group those

animals that initially pecked at the distinctive feature only took

one or two sessions to shift completely away The results are less

9A Hann Whitney U Test was used for between group comparisons The probability values are all for a two-tailed test

93

Figure 20 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with red circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09

08

07 0 middot shy+- 0 06

0

c 05~0-~-0 I

0 I

0 (1) 04t

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

POS

lcCl ~

SUCCESSIVE

o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o~o

bull

Within Neg middot~

NEG

reel ~

d =red

c =green

o--o~o--o

bull-bull-bull

bull bull -- -_- bull 11 2 13 middot=middot-=middot=-middot-1415 161-----=middot~~-t-- - 9 1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ~

Training Sessions

95

Figure 21 Median discrimination indices for distributed

group trained with green circle as distinctive feature on the

negative trial

1 o

09 POS NEG

reel reel 08 ~ ~ 07 c -=red

0 middot shy d =green +- 0 06

I SUCCESSIVE

0

05 ~ o~0-o o--o--o--o--o--o--0--o--o--o-o--o--o__o__o--o c 0 -

D 04 lt1)

2 03 I bull

021shy

bullI 0 1

0

2 3

bull ~ 0

I I 1 2 3

Within Neg middot-shy middot--middot ~ middot--~ --middot-middot-- ----middot-middot-middot 8 1 1 I I I I 1 0 I 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 164 5 6

Training Sessions

9

clear for those animals that pecked at a low level at the

distinctive feature during pre-differential training Essentially

the simultaneous discrimination was already formed and the response

level to the distinctive feature remained at or below the preshy

10differential leve1

Since seven of the eight subjects trained with the

distinctive feature on the positive display developed a successive

discrimination and none of the eight feature negative subjects

did so a clear feature positive effect was obtained A comparison

of the successive discrimination ratios on the last training session

yielded a significant difference between the two groups (U = 55

P ltOl)

Compact groups The results for the red and green feature

positive groups are plotted in Figure 22

All eight feature positive subjects learned the successive

discrimination Further there were no significant differences

between the red and green feature positive groups when the mean

ratios of the successive discrimination over the sixteen training

sessions were compared U = 4 PgtlO) A comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of training

also proved not to be significant (U = 75 P gt10) Thus unlike

the results for the distributed groups colour appeared to have

no effect on the rate with which the discrimination was acquired

The median ratios of discrimination for the red and green

10A detailed description of the peck location data for the feature negative subjects may be found in Appendix E

98

Figure 22 ~1edian discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the positive

trial

1 o --------------------~middot----middot-e-bull-middot--~e===e==-e

09

08

07 0 + 0 06

0

o 5 1- e-=ie c 0

0 04 ()

2 03

02

01

0 1 2 3

-- ~ ~0--0~ 0

0 o-o

bull

e-e-e-=Q-0

POS NEG

n n[LJ lampJ

bull-bull d =Red

0-0 d =Green

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 0

Sessions

100

compact feature negative groups are plotted in Figure 23

In the red feature negative group all four subjects

gave some indication of learning the discrimination One

animal showed a complete discrimination (ratio of 10) while

the remaining three animals had ratios of 66 83 and90 on

the last session of training

In the green feature negative group three subjects gave

evidence of a discrimination (individual ratios were 67 80

and 92) while the remaining subject reached a maximum ratio

of only 54 on the sixteenth session of differential training

As in the compact feature positive condition the

assignment of red or green as the distinctive feature played

no role in the formation of the discrimination There were no

significant differences between the mean successive discrimination

ratios of the red and green feature negative groups over the

sixteen training sessions (U = 5 P gt10) There was also no

difference between the successive discrimination ratios on the

last session of training (U = 5 P gt10)

Although there was clear evidence of learning in the

feature negative groups when the displays were compact a

comparison of Figures 22 and 23 indicates that even for compact

displays the discrimination achieved by the feature positive

subjects was superior to that achieved by the feature negative

subjects In the feature positive condition a successive

discrimination ratio of 90 was reached by every subject and

McMASIER UNIYERSIIt LIBRA~

lOl

Figure 23 Median discrimination indices for both compact

groups trained with the distinctive feature on the negative

trial

----------

102

I 0bull

0

bull

I 0

bull

middot~ I 0

0~

I 0bull

middot~0 ltD

f)

~0 ~

0 ~ ~ shy~Q

c

n lt9z uu eo II II

0 0 I I I

agt

IIbull 0

G)~Q bull 0

~uu f)

I f)

~ ltD

r--------- shyf)

~

~ f)

()- I)-

ltt-

- (I)

ltI-

-

0- shy

C1)-

- co

()- I shy c 0

()- () ()

I) (])-

()

- ltt

(I)-

- ltI

-

- (I)

- ltI

-

0 C1) co I shy () I) ~ (I) ltI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OlOCJ UOP80-J

103

the average number of sessions required was 36 On the other

hand only 3 of the 8 subjects in the feature negative condition

reached a value as high as 90 and these three subjects required

on the average of 66 sessions to do so A comparison of the

mean successive discrimination ratios for the 16 training

sessions yielded a significant difference between the feature

positive and the feature negative groups (U = 35 P lt01)

Similarly a comparison of the successive discrimination ratios

on the last session of training also produced a significant

difference between these two groups (U = 8 P lt Ol) Thus a

feature positive effect was still evident when the common and

distinctive features were presented in clusters

Distributed vs compact It is clear from the results

thus far that while colour affected the rate of learning when

the distributed displays were used (ie the red feature

positive subjects learned more quickly than the green feature

positive subjects) it did not affect the rate of learning in

the compact groups Although there were no preference data

available for the compact groups this result would suggest that

element preference is reduced by placing the elements in close

proximity of one another

The average course of learning for the compact feature

positive subjects (ie on average disregarding red and green

distinctive features) fell between the learning curves for the red and

green distributed feature positive groups The compact feature positive

104

subjects took an average of two or three sessions longer to

start the discrimination than the distributed red feature

positive subjects and on average of five sessions less than

the distributed green feature positive subjects

Within the feature positive condition there were no

significant differences attributable to compactas compared

with distributed displays A statistical comparison of the

successive discrimination ratios on the last session of

training for the compact and distributed feature positive

groups resulted in a non-significant difference (U = 195

P ~ 10) The difference between the mean successive

discrimination ratios for these groups over the sixteen

training sessions was also not statistically significant (U =

30 p gt40)

A comparison of the final successive discrimination

ratios of the compact feature negative subjects and the

distributed feature negative subjects yielded a significant

difference between the two groups (U = 2 PltOOl) A similar

result was obtained when the mean successive discrimination

ratios over the sixteen training sessions were compared (U = 8 PltOl) The discriminative performance of the compact

feature negative subjects was very much superior to that of

the distributedmiddot feature negative subjects Thus it is clear

that the compacting of the display made the discrimination

significantly easier when the distinctive feature appeared on

105

negative trials

Test Results

Let us turn now to a consideration of the test results

It has been suggested that the successive discrimination in the

feature negative case is learned in compact displays because of

the close proximity of d to c The proximity m~kes it possible

for the presence of ~ to prevent the response that otherwise

occurs to c This view is referred to as the conditionalshy

element theory of the feature negative discrimination because it

holds that a response to the c element becomes conditional on

the d element

middot The set of test displays was devised to check on certain

implications of the conditional element theory The displays

are represented in Figures 24 and 25 (along with the test results)

They consisted of the four different displays used in training

(distributed and compact with and without the distinctive feature)

and four new displays Two of the new displays consisted of a

single pound or d feature The remaining two each had a single pound in

one sector and a compact cluster with or without~ in another

sector The rationale for these displays will become evident as

we consider the bearing of the test results on certain specific

questions that the conditional element theory raises about

functions of the stimulus elements in the discrimination

When it is said that a d in close proximity to pound prevents

the response that would otherwise occur to pound it is assumed that

pound and ~ function as separately conditioned elements That general

106

Figure 24 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on distributed displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used in discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

d =feature positive 36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

C]0 POS NEG

107

~ d =red D d =green

CJ

~[U] DbJ ~[] cJCJ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

d =feature negative32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

00 P OS NEG

[U] ~ DD [2]GJ CJD 02 01 04 03 06 05 08 07

TEST STIMULI

1~

Figure 25 Extinction test results for each of the four

groups trained on compact displays Displays labelled

positive and negative are those used during discrimination

training but during the test all trials were nonreinforced

Position of features changed from sector to sector in a random

sequence during test sessions

36

32

28

24

20

16

CJ) 12(J)

CJ)

c 80 0 c) 4 (J)

0

34 32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

d = feature positive

POS NEG

GJD ~~ C1 C2 C3 C4

d =feature negative

IJ POS NEG

109~ d =red

0 d =green

W~LJLJ C5 C6 C7 C8

WGJ ~~ lj~ CJ[JC2 C1 C4 C3 C6 C5 C8 C7

TEST STIMULI

110

assumption is central to the simultaneous discrimination theory

of the feature positive effect (see pages 15 - 20) as well as

to the conditional element theory of how the feature negative

discrimination is learned in the compact display

The first question to be asked of the test results

concerns the assumption that separate response tendencies are

conditioned to c and d Specifically (a) do subjects respond

differentially to c and pound elements in accordance with the

relation of these elements to reinforcement and nonreinforcement

in training and (b) how dependent is the level of responding on

the pattern afforded by the entire display as presented in

training

The data on the location of the peck on distributed displays

f are germane t o the 1rst ques tbull1on11 bull As would be expected from

the results during training subjects trained under the distributed

feature positive condition made most of their responses to d The

median percent of responses made to pound on the D1

test display for

this group was 100 (the lowest value was 53 which was well above

the chance level of 25) Subjects trained under the distributed

feature negative condition on the other hand confined their

responses to c on display D1

The median percent of responses

made to c when D was present was 100 (range 93 to 1006)1

The compact feature positive subjects performed in a

manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects When

11These data are not represented in Figures 24 and 25 but may be found in Appendix C

111

display c was presented the median percent of total responses3

made to the distinctive feature was 925 with a range of 75 to

100

The most critical test results for the conditional

element theory are those obtained in subjects trained under the

compact feature negative condition These subjects also responded

differentially to pound and ~ when display c3

was presented Subjects

in this group responded almost exclusively to pound (median percent

of responses topound= 10~6 range 75 to 10~~)

A comparison of the number of responses made to the single

distinctive feature and the single common element also supported

these findings In both the distributed and compact feature

positive groups subjects responded significantly more to the

distinctive feature (T = 0 P lt05 in both cases) The distributed

and compact feature negative subjects on the other hand responded

significantly more to the display containing the single pound (T = 0

P lt05 in both cases)

Thus the answer to our first question is yes The

localization results in conjunction with the differential response

tendency noted when displays containing either a single pound or d were

presented clearly indicate that in all four groups pound was

discriminated from d Further this differential responding to c

and d was in accordance with the relation of these elements to

reinforcement and nonreinforcement in training

Consider nml the second part of our question namely to

112

what degree is the subjects response level dependent upon the

pattern of elements present in training From Figure 24 it is

clear that changing the number of common features or the spatial

distribution had little if any effect on responding for the

distributed red feature positive subjects Thegreen feature

positive subjects on the other hand show a deficit in responding

when the compact displays are presented~ This result does not

however imply that feature positive subjects were responding to

a pattern on the positive display This is evident from the

fact that subjects responded at a high level to the display

containing the single poundelement This result then would imply

that while subjects did not respond to a pattern some were

affected by context (ie the placing ofpound in close proximity to

s)

The performance of the compact feature positive subjects

(shown in Figure 25) is similar to that of the distributed feature

positive group Although minor fluctuations occur when the

changed displays are presented the response level is high when

a display containing pound is presented and low when a display not

containing ~ is presented Thus while some subjects show some

differential responding when the displays are changed both the

compact and distributed feature positive groups maintain their

high level of discrimination between displays containing a d and

those that do not contain pound

The critical test for the conditional element theory

113

comes when the performance of the feature negative subjects is

examined In the distributed feature negative group (Figure

24) a comparison of the total number of responses made to each

12 2

D4 D n6 Dpair (D D1

3

5

DB D7

) of displays showed that

subjects responded significantly more to displays n and D2 1

than to any other pair of displays (D D vs 3

T =02 1

D4 n

Plt05 D D vs T = O P~05 D D vs DB D7

T = 2 1 D6 n5 2 1

0 P ~05) Further as is apparent in Figure 24 very little

responding occurred to the single common element especially in

the redfeature negative group From these results it is clear

that the level of response was at least partially affected by

the pattern on the display

In the compact feature negative condition the effects

of pattern are even greater It is clear from Figure 25 that

when the subjects are presented with distributed displays or

with a single element display very significant decrements in

responding occur (c c vs c c4

T = 0 Plt05 c c vs2 1 3 2 1

CB c7 T = 0 P lt05) However there was not a significant

decrement in responding when subjects were presented with

displays c6 and c which contained compact clusters (T = 145

PgtJO)

Thus while some small decrements occurred when the

pattern of the positive display was changed in the feature

12It makes no difference whether pairs or single displays are

compared (i-e D vs n4 vs n6 vs Dq) the statistical results2 were exactly the same Pairs of displays are compared here in order to simplify the discussion

114

positive condition these same changes brought about very large

decrements in responding in the feature negative group The

most important test of the conditional element theory comes from

the performance of the compact feature negative subjects The

results shown in Figure 25 clearly indicate that respo1ding in

the compact feature negative condition was highly dependent

on the entire positive display (ie the presence of a cluster

ofpound elements) and when this display was altered responding

decreased to a very low level However this dependence on the

pattern on the positive display was not evident in the compact

feature positive condition

The conditional element theory of the feature negative

discrimination in the simplest and clearest form envisions the

conditioning of tendencies to respond to individual pound and d

elements not to patterns of elements Horeover the theory

would have the same tendencies conditioned to individual elements

in compact and distributed displays It is in theory as though

pound acquires the same positive valence and acquires the same

negative valence in both the distributed and compact feature

negative conditions The extent to which the negativity of

reduces the positivity of c is then some inverse function of the

distance between them

It is clear from these results that a conditional element

theory of this form would not apply to the present displays without

substantial qualifications The especially strong dependence of

115

the level of responding on the pattern of pound elements for animals

trained in the compact feature negative case means that the

elements cannot be considered to function independently of their

configuration Although it was found that differential tendencies

to respond to single pound and d elements were developed as the result

of training the level of response to a display having the same

cluster of pound elements as did the positive display in training was

very much greater than the level to a single pound presented outside

of such a cluster

Even though the level of responding is not independent of

pattern it may still be asked whether in the feature negative

case apound that has ~ as a close neighbour is less likely to be

responded to than a c more removed from d If the response to c

doesnt depend on the proximity of~ the conditional element

theory of the feature negative discrimination would have to be

rejected

Consider first the test results following training on the

distributed feature negative discrimination (Figure 24) According

to the theory the level of responding on n where c and d are3

close should be less than on n4 where no ~ is present The

total number of respolses to n was not however significantly3

less than to n4 (T = 5 P J 05) Further the isolated pound would

in theory be responded to moremiddoton display n where it is the5

only pound that is well removed from d than on display n6 where no

~ is present Results on the location of pecking on test trials

116

with these displays showed that subjects did not respond

significantly more to the isolated c element on display n5

than on D6 (T = 8 P ~ 10)

Consider next the test results for subjects trained

on the compact feature negative displays (Figure 25) Display

c5 is the same as display c1

the negative disp~ay in training

except for the addition of an isolated poundbull Responding to display

c should therefore exceed responding to c1 but in fact it did5

not It would also be consistent with the theory if the isolated

pound accounted for a larger proportion of the responses on display

c than on display c6 However a statistical comparison of the5

percent of responses made to the isolated element on display c5

with the results for display c revealed that this was not the6

case (T = 55 P gt 10)

In summary the test results for subjects trained in the

feature negative discrimination provide no evidence that the

response to pound was dependent on the proximity of pound to ~middot It must

therefore be concluded that the test results taken as a whole

provide no support for the conditional element theory of the

feature negative discrimination

Discussion

The results of the present experiment clearly replicate

those found in Experiment II In the distributed condition a

clear feature positive effect was observed and further both

the distributed feature positive subjects and the distributed

117

feature negative subjects behaved in a manner which was generally

consistent with the simultaneous discrimination theory The

single exception was the test performance of the distributed red

feature negative group It is difficult to understand why these

subjects failed to respond at a high level to the single pound-element

during testing This result is inconsistent wi~h the results for

the green feature negative subjects and also the test results for

the two feature negative groups in Experiment II

In the compact condition the results of training indicate

that compacting the display facilitated learning in the feature

negative case while leaving the performance of the feature positive

animals comparable to that of the distributed feature positive

group Compacting the display did not however eliminate the

feature positive effect it merely reduced the differential betv1een

the feature positive and feature negative groups

During testing the compact feature positive subjects responded

in a manner similar to the distributed feature positive subjects

The localization data clearly show that the majority of responses

occurred to d on poundpound-displays Further while some effects of

context were noted responding was maintained at a high level when

a d was present and was at a low level when d was absent

The compact feature negative subjects also showed

localization behaviour which was consistent with the simultaneous

discrimination theory When presented with distributed displays

during testing responding was primarily confined to the pound elements

on poundpound-displays

118

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that the compact

feature negative subjects learn the discrimination because the

close proximity of ~ to pound on the pound~-display allows a conditional

discrimination to occur It is clear from the test results that

this conditional element theory is not a correct account of how

the discrimination was learned in the compact feature negative

case Responding was very strongly dependent on the entire cluster

of circles making up the positive display Further there was no

evidence in either the distributed or compact feature negative

groups that the level of response to a common feature was reduced

by the proximity of the distinctive feature The fact remains

however that compacting the display did selectively facilitate

the feature negative discrimination If the conditional element

theory of the discrimination is not correct why does compacting

the display aid the feature negative discrimination

Both in the present experiment and in the previous

experiment the distinctive feature replaced one of the common

features rather than being an addition to the set of common

features Therefore positive displays could be distinguished

from negative displays entirely on the basis of different patterns

of common features In the present displays for example a

discrimination might be formed between a group of four circles

of one colour say green and a group of three green circles

The presence of a circle of a different colour could in principle

be irrelevant to the discrimination The test results showed

119

quite clearly that such was definitely not the case when the

circle of a different colour is on the positive display since

in the feature positive case the distinctive feature is

certainly the principal basis of the discrimination However

it is conceivable that when a discrimination does develop in

the feature negative case it is based primarily on a difference

between the patterns of common elements in the pairs of displays

Putting the elements close together may make that difference more

distinctive In particular discriminating a complete square of

four circles of one colour from a cluster of three circles of

the same colour might very well be easier when the circles are

arranged in compact clusters

It is perhaps unlikely that the distinctive feature plays

no role in the discrimination that develops in the feature negative

case but in stating this possibility explicit recognition is

given that the present experiment offers no evidence that the

distinctive feature conditionalizes the response to the common

feature

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

The results of the present series of experiments

generally support a simultaneous discrimination interpretation

of the feature positive effect

The simultaneous discrimination theory predicted

localization on d by the feature positive subjects Further

this localization was to precede the formation of the successive

discrimination Both of these predictions were supported by

all of the experiments reported here

The second prediction of the simultaneous discrimination

theory concerns the localization of responding on pound by the feature

negative subjects The results of Experiments II and III

provided support for this prediction

Finally it was reasoned that in order for a feature

negative discrimination to be formed subjects would have to form

a conditional discrimination of the form respond to c unless d

is present It was predicted that by compacting the stimulus

display subjects would learn the discrimination in a manner which

was consistent with the conditional element theory The results

of Experiment III however do not provide support for this

theory While compact feature negative subjects did respond to

c and d in a manner consistent with the theory it was clear that

120

121

the pattern of the elements on the display played a large role

in determining the level of response Thus the conditional

element theory of the feature negative discrimination was not

supported by Experiment III

In the introduction of this thesis the question was

raised as to whether or not the paridigm used here had any

bearing on the question of excitation and inhibition It was

pointed out that only if the learning by the feature positive

and feature negative subjects was coordinate (ie as described

a and a or bypound andpound) could any inferences regarding excitation

and inhibition be drawn

The results of the experiments clearly indicate that

the performance of the feature positive subjects is consistent

with rule~ (respond to~ otherwise do not respond) However

the localization and test results as well as the failure to

respond during in tertrial periods indicate middotthat subjects trained

on compact feature negative displays do not perform in accordance

with rule a (do not respond to~ otherwise respond) Learning

in the feature positive and feature negative conditions was not

therefore based on coordinate rules As a consequence the

comparison of learning in the feature positive and feature negative

arrangements was not a direct comparison of the rates with which

inhibitory and excitatory control develop

It was also noted in the introduction that Pavlov (1927)

122

trained animals to respond in a differential manner when an A-AB

paridigm was used Further Pavlov demonstrated the inhibitory

effect of B by placing it with another positive stimulus Why

then is the A-AB discrimination not learned in the present

series of experiments Even in the compact feature negative

condition there is some doubt as to whether or ~ot the learning

is based on d rather than on the basis of the pattern formed by

the positive display

There are at least two possible reasons for the failure

of A-AB discrimination to be learned by the distributed feature

positive subjects First of all the failure may occur because

of the spatial relationship of c and d as specified by the

conditional element theory Secondly it is possible that the

distinctive feature occupies too small a space in the stimulating

environment relative to the common feature It is possible for

example that dot feature negative subjects would learn if the

dot was of a greater size

Pavlov (1927) in discussing the conditions necessary for

the establishing of conditioned inhibition stated The rate of

formation of conditioned inhibition depends again on the

character and the relative intensity of the additional stimulus

in comparison with the conditioned stimulus Cp 75) Pavlov

found that when the distinctive feature (B) was of too low an

intensity conditioned inhibition was difficult to establish

123

If one can assume that increasing the relative area of

the distinctive feature is the same as increasing its intensity

then it is possible that the failure in the present experiments

lies in the relatively small area occupied by the distinctive

feature In Experiment III for example three common features

were present on negative trials while only one distinctive feature

was present

One further possibility is that the conditional

discrimination may be affected by the modalities from which the

elements are drawn In the present experiments the common and

distinctive features were from the same modality Pavlov on the

other hand generally used two elements which were from different

modalities (eg a tone and a rotating visual object) Thus

while in Pavlovs experiments the two elements did not compete

in the same modality the significance of the distinctive feature

in the present studies may have been reduced by the existence of

common features in the same modality

It is possible then that feature negative subjects

would learn the discrimination if different modalities were

employed or if the distinctive feature occupied a relatively

larger area These possibilities however remain to be tested

While the results of the present experiments do not bear

directly on the question of whether or not excitatory or inhibitory

control form at different rates they do bear directly on a design

which is often used to demonstrate inhibitory control by the negative

124

stimulus (Jenkins ampHarrison 1962 Honig et al 1963 Terrace

1966)

In these studies the experimenters required subjects

to discriminate between successively presented positive and

negative stimuli The negative stimulus was composed of elements

which were from a different dimension than those present on the

positive display A variation of the negative stimulus did not

therefore move the negative stimulus (S-) any closer or farther

away from the positive stimulus (S+) Inhibitory control was

demonstrated by the occurrence of an increased tendency to respond

when the stimulus was moved away from the original S- value

The first attempt to test for the inhibitory effects of

S- by using this method was carried out by Jenkins amp Harrison

(1962) In their experiment no tone or white noise plus a lighted

key signalled S+ while a pure tone plus a lighted key signalled S-

In a generalization test for inhibitory control by S- tones of

different frequencies were presented The authors found that as

the frequency of the test tone moved away from S- there was an

increasing tendency to respond

A similar study by Honig Boneau Burnstein and Pennypacker

(1963) supported these findings Honig et al used a blank key as

S+ and a key with a black vertical line on it as S- In testing

they varied the orientation of the S- line and found a clear

inhibitory gradient Responding increased progressively as the

orientation of the line was changed from the vertical to the

125

horizontal position

Nore recently Terrace (1966) has found both excitatory

and inhibitory gradients using a similar technique but testing

for both types of control within the same animal

It is apparent that if the criterion for asymmetrical

displays described in the introduction is applied to these

stimuli they would be characterized as asymmetrical In the

Honig et al (1963) experiment for example the blank areas

on both displays would be noted as c while the black line would

be noted as d Thus as in the present experiments one display

is composed of common elements while the other is made up of

common elements plus a distinctive feature One might expect

then that as well as asymmetry in stimuli there should also

be asymmetry in learning This was not in fact the case The

line positive and line negative subjects learned with equal

rapidity in Honigs experiment

There are however two points of divergence between the

design used here and that used by Honig et al First of all

although the discrimination was successive in nature Honig et

al used a free operant procedure while the present experiments

employed a discrete trial procedure

Secondly and more important in Honigs experimert the

distinctive feature was stationary while in the present experiments

the location was moved from trial to trial It is clear from the

peck location results of the present experiment that feature

126

negative subjects do not res~ond in a random fashion but rather

locate their pecking at a preferred location on the display

It is likely therefore that Honigs subjects performed in a

similar manner If subjects chose the same area to peck at

in both positive and negative display it is probable that

as the distinctive feature extended across the Qiameter of the

display the locus of responding on poundpound~displays would be at

or near a part of the distinctive feature

If these assumptions are correct there are two additional

ways in which the discrimination could have been learned both

of which are based on positive trials First of all if the

preferred area on the positive trial was all white and the same

area on the negative trials was all black then a simple whiteshy

black discrimination may have been learned Secondly the

discrimination may be based on the strategy respond to the

display with the largest area of white In either case one

could not expect asymmetry in learning

Further if either of the above solutions were employed

and the line was oriented away from the negative in testing the

preferred area for pecking would become more like the cor1parable

area on the positive display It is possible then that the

gradients were not inhibitory in nature but excitatory

This argument could also be applied to the Terrace (1967)

experiment where again line orientation was used It is more

difficult however to apply this type of analysis to the Jenkins amp

127

Harrison (1963) experiment as different dimensions (ie visual

and auditory) were employed as pound and poundmiddot This interpretation

may however partially explain the discrepancy in the nature of

the gradients found in the Jenkins ampHarrison and Honig et al

experiments The gradients found by Jenkins ampHarrison were

much shallower in slope than those fould by Hon~g et al or

Terrace

The results of the present experiments also go beyond

the feature positive effect to a more fundamental question that

is often asked in discrimination learning How can a perfect

gono go discrimination be learned despite the fact that many of

the features of the stimulating environment are common to both

positive and negative trials The assumption of overlap (common

features) between the stimuli present on positive and negative

trials is necessary to account for generalization After an

animal has been given differential training this overlap must

be reduced or removed because the subject no longer responds to

the negative display while responding remains at full strength

in the presence of the positive display It is assumed therefore

that differential training has the function of reducing the overlap

between the positive and negative stimuli

One approach to the problem has been through the use of

mathematical models of learning

These mode1s have attempted to describe complex behaviour

by the use of mathematical equations the components of which are

128

based upon assumptions made by the model What is sought from

the models is an exact numerical prediction of the results of the

experiments they attempt to describe

One type of mathematical model which has been used

extensively in the study of overlap is the stimulus sampling

model The fundamental assumption underlying sampling models is

that on any given experimental trial only a sample of the elements

present are effective or active (conditionable)

The first explicit treatment of the problem of overlap

was contained in the model for discrimination presented by Bush

amp Mosteller (1951) According to this formulation a set

(unspecified finite number of elements) is conditioned through

reinforcement to a response However in addition to equations

representing the conditioning of responses to sets a separate

equation involving a discrimination operator was introduced This

had the effect of progressively reducing the overlap thus reflecting

the decreasing effectiveness of common elements during the course

of differential training This operator applied whenever the

sequence of presentations shifted from one type of trial to another

It is now obvious however that in order for common

features to lose their ability to evoke a response a differentiating

feature must be present (Wagner Logan Haberlandt amp Price 1968)

In the present series of experiments common features did not lose

their ability to evoke a response unless the differentiating feature

was placed on positive trials The Bush ampMosteller formulation

129

did not recognize the necessity of the presence of a distinctive

feature in order that control by the common features be

neutralized

Restle (1955) proposed a theory not totally unlike that

of Bush ampMosteller However adaptation of common cues was

said to occur on every positive and negative trial not just at

transitions between positive and negative trials Further the

rate of adaptation was said to depend on the ratio of relevant

cues to the total set of cues Adaptation or the reduction of

overlapdepended then on the presence of a distinctive feature

As the theory predicts conditioning in terms of relevant cues

it would predict no differences in learning in the present series

of experiments If a cue is defined as two values along some

dimension then in the present experiments the two values are

the presence vs the absence of the distinctive feature Thus

the cue would be the same in both the feature positive and feature

negative case

The theory also does not describe a trial by trial

process of adaptation As Restle later pointed out (Restle 1962)

the rate of adaptation in the 1955 model is a fixed parameter

which is dependent from the outset of training on the proportion

of relevant cues But clearly the status of a cue as relevant

or irrelevant can only be determined over a series of trials The

process by which a cue is identified as being relevant or irrelevant

is unspecified in the theory

130

A somewhat different approach to the problem has been

incorporated in pattern models of discrimination In distinction

to the component or element models these models assume that

patterns are conditioned to response rather than individual elements

on the display Estes (1959) for example developed a model which

had the characteristics of the component models but the samples

conditioned were patterns rather than elements If the results

of the presen~ experlinents were treated as pattern conditioning

the pound~ and pound-displays would be treated differently The pound~

display would become a new unique pattern ~middot It is clear from

the results however that subjects in the distributed groups

and in the compact feature positive group were not conditioned

to a pattern but rather were conditioned primarily to the

components or individual features

Atkinson ampEstes (1963) in order to encompass the notion

of generalization devised a mixed model which assumed conditioning

both to components within the display and to the pattern as a

whole The conditioning to the pattern explains the eventual

development of a complete discrimination between the pattern and

one of its components Essentially while responding is being

conditioned to AB responding is also being conditioned to the

components A and B In the present series of experiments it is

impossible to know whether or not the subjects trained on

distributed displays were responding to the pattern during some

phase of training However the peck location data collected

131

during training (ie localization on the feature) would argue

against this notion Although a form of mixed model may explain

the results the addition of pattern conditioning is not a

necessary concept The results are more readily explained by the

simple conditioning to c and d features as described by the

simultaneous discrimination theory

There now exist a number of two stage component models

which differ from the earlier simple component models in that the

nature of the selection process and the rules of selection are

specified These models generally termed as selective attention

theories of discrimination learning also provide schema for

removing the effect of common elements (eg Atkinson 1961

Lovejoy 1965 1966 Restle 1962 Sutherland 1959 1964

Trabasso ampBower 1968 Wyckoff 1952 Zeaman ampHouse 1963) All

middotof these theories assune that learning a discrimination first of

all involves the acquisition of an observing response the

switching in of an analyser or the selection of a hypothesis as

to the features that distinguish positive from negative trials

In other words the subject must learn which analyser (eg colour

shape size etc) to switch in or attend to and then he must

attach the correct response with each output of the analyser

(eg red-green round-square etc) If for example a subject

is required to discriminate a red circle from a green circle he

must first of all learn to attend to colour and then connect the

correct response to red and green

Although these models all have an attention factor

132

different rules have been proposed for the acquisition of the

analyser or observing response Sutherland for example has

proposed that the failure of an analyser to provide differential

prediction of reinforcement-nonreinforcement will result in

switching to another analyser Restle (1962) on the other

hand proposes that every error (nonreinforcement) leads to a

resampling of features

Although it is possible that any one of these models

could account for the feature positive effect it is clear that

this effect can be accounted for without an appeal to the

development of a cue-acquiring or observing response that alters

the availability of the features on the display The results

of pre-differential training in Experiments II and III indicate

that subjects preferred to peck at one feature more th~n the

other This would imply that the features were both attended to

and differentiated from the outset of training Since this is

the case it is unnecessary to suppose that differential training

teaches the animal to tell the difference between the common

and distinctive features The differential training may simply

change the strength of response to these features

This is essentially what is implied by the simultaneous

discrimination theory The theory simply assumes that the outcome

of a trial selectively strengthens or weakens the response to

whichever element of the display captures the response on that

trial When the distinctive feature is on the positive trial the

133

response shifts toward it because of the higher probability of

reinforcement This shift within the positive trials decreases

the probability of reinforcement for a common feature response

until extinction occurs When the distinctive feature is on

the negative trial the response shifts away because there is a

lower probability of reinforcement associated with the distinctive

feature than there is with common features As the common features

on positive and negative trials are not differentiated partial

reinforcement results and the successive discrimination does not

form

It is clear that the explanation offered by the simultaneous

discrimination theory is heavily dependent on spatial convergence

It is evident however that common features must also be

extinguished in non-spatial (eg auditory) discrimination tasks

It remains to be seen whether the type of explanation suggested

here can be generalized to non-spatial stimuli and to other tasks

in which the animal does not respond directly at the discriminative

stimulus

Summary and Conclusions

Jenkins ampSainsbury (1967) found that when subjects were

required to discriminate between two stimuli which were differentiated

only by a single feature placed on the positive or negative display

animals trained with the distinctive feature on the positive display

learned the discrimination while animals trained with the distinctive

134

feature on the negative trials did not The simultaneous

discrimination theory was proposed to account for this featureshy

positive effect

The present experiments were designed to test the

predictions made by the simultaneous discrimination theory The

simultaneous discrimination theory first of all states that

within a distinctive feature display the distinctive feature and

the common features function as separately conditioned elements

Further in the feature positive condition subjects should localize

their responding on the distinctive feature Also this localization

should precede the onset of the formation of the successive

discrimination Results from all three experiments clearly supported

these predictions Without exception feature positive subjects who

learned the successive discrimination localized their response to

the distinctive feature before responding ceased on negative trials

The simultaneous discrimination theory also predicted that

subjects trained with the distinctive feature on negative trials

would avoid the distinctive feature in favour of common features

In Experiment II subjects were presented with a four section

display Thus responding to common and distinctive features was

recorded separately The results clearly upheld the predictions

of the simultaneous discrimination theory Subjects trained with

the distinctive feature on negative trials formed a simultaneous

discrimination between common and distinctive features and confined

their responding to common elements

135

It was suggested that the failure of the successive

discrimination in the feature negative case could be regarded

as a failure to form a conditional discrimination of the form

respond to common elements unless the distinctive feature is

present If this were true then making the conditional

discrimination easier should allow the feature negative subjects

to learn Experiment III was designed to test this view Subjects

were presented with displays which had the elements moved into

close proximity to one another Although feature negative subjects

learned the discrimination a feature-positive effect was still

observed Further there was no evidence to support the notion

that the feature negative subjects had learned a conditional

discrimination The results suggested instead that responding

by the compact feature negative group was largely controlled by

pattern and the overall performance was not consistent with a

conditional element view

Thus while the predictions of the simultaneous discrimination

theory were upheld a conditional element interpretation of learning

when the distinctive feature was placed on negative trials was not

supported

While it is possible that some of the stimul~s sampling

models of discrimination learning could account for the feature

positive effect the simultaneous discrimination theory has the

advantage of not requiring the assumption of a cue-acquiring or

an observing response to alter the availability of cues on a

display

References

Atkinson R C The observing response in discrimination learning

J exp Psychol 1961 62 253-262

Atkinson R C and Estes W K Stimulus sampling theory In

R Luce R Bush and E Galanter (Editors) Handbook of

mathematical psychology Vol 2 New York Wiley 1963

Blough D S Animal psychophysics Scient Amer 1961 205

113-122

Brown P L and Jenkins H M Auto-shaping of the pigeons keyshy

peck J exp Anal Behav 1968 11 l-8

Bush R R and Mosteller R A A model for stimulus generalization

and discrimination Psychol Rev 1951 ~~ 413-423

Dember W N The psychology of perception New York Holt

Rinehart and Winston 1960

Estes W K Component and pattern models with Markovian interpretations

In R R Bush and W K Estes (Editors) Studies in mathematical

learning theory Stanford Calif Stanford Univ Press

1959 9-53

Ferster C B and Skinner B P Schedules of Reinforcement New

York Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957

Honig W K Prediction of preference transportation and transshy

portation-reversal from the generalization gradient J

exp Psychol 1962 64 239-248

137

Honig W K Boneau C A Burnstein K R and Pennypacker H S

Positive and negative generalization gradients obtained after

equivalent training conditions J comp physiol Psychol

1963 2sect 111-116

Jenkins H Measurement of stimulus control during discriminative

operant conditioning Psychol Bull 196~ 64 365-376

Jenkins H and Sainsbury R Discrimination learning with the

distinctive feature on positive and negative trials

Technical Report No 4 Department of Psychology McMaster

University 1967

Lovejoy E P Analysis of the overlearning reversal effect

Psychol Rev 1966 73 87-103

Lovejoy E P An attention theory of discrimination learning J

math Psychol 1965 ~ 342-362

Miller R E and Murphy J V Influence of the spatial relationshy

ships between the cue reward and response in discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1964 67 120-123

Murphy J V and Miller R E The effect of spatial contiguity

of cue and reward in the object-quality learning of rhesus

monkeys J comp physiol Psychol 1955 48 221-224

Murphy J V and Miller R E Effect of the spatial relationship

between cue reward and response in simple discrimination

learning J exp Psychol 1958 2sect 26-31

Pavlov I P Conditioned Reflexes London Oxford University

Press 1927

138

Restle F The selection of strategies in cue learning Psychol

Rev 1962 69 329-343

Restle F A theory of discrimination learning Psychol Rev

1955 62 ll-19

Sainsbury R S and Jenkins H M Feature-positive effect in

discrimination learning Proceedings 75th Annual

Convention APA 1967 17-18

Schuck J R Pattern discrimination and visual sampling by the

monkey J comp physiol Psychol 1960 22 251-255

Schuck J bullR Polidora V J McConnell D G and Meyer D R

Response location as a factor in primate pattern discrimination

J comp physiol Psychol 1961 ~ 543-545

Skinner B F Stimulus generalization in an operant A historical

note In D Hostofsky (Editor) Stimulus Generalization

Stanford University Press 1965

Stollnitz F Spatial variables observing responses and discrimination

learning sets Psychol Rev 1965 72 247-261

Stollnitz F and Schrier A M Discrimination learning by monkeys

with spatial separation of cue and response J comp physiol

Psychol 1962 22 876-881

Sutherland N S Stimulus analyzing mechanisms In Proceedings

or the symposium on the mechanization of thought processes

Vol II London Her Majestys Stationery Office 575-609

1959

139

Sutherland N S The learning-of discrimination by animals

Endeavour 1964 23 146-152

Terrace H S Discrimination learning and inhibition Science

1966 154 1677~1680

Trabasso R and Bower G H Attention in learnin~ New York

Wiley 1968

Wagner A R Logan F A Haberlandt K and Price T Stimulus

selection in animal discrimination learning J exp Psycho

1968 Zsect 171-180

Wyckoff L B The role of observing responses in discrimination

learning Part I Psychol Rev 1952 22 431-442

Zeaman D and House B J The role of attention in retarded

discrimination learning InN R Ellis (Editor) Handbook

of mental deficiency New York McGraw-Hill 1963 159-223

140

Appendix A

Individual Response Data for Experiment I

141 Experiment 1

Responses Made During Differential Training to Display

Containing d (D) and the Blank Display (D)

Subjects Session

2 2 4 2 6 1 8

Dot Positive

7 D 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

19 D 160 156 156 156 148 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 156 159 113 10 13 3 0 28 4 1 2

41 D 149 128 160 131 160 158 160 159 156 160 160 160

160 155 158 36 33 8 13 4 3 9 13 9

44 D 154 160 150 160 154 158 160 160 158 157 160 151

n 157 152 160 158 148 16o 155 148 142 148 103 37

50 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156 160 160 160 160

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Dot Negative

3 D 152 157 160 145 137 153 160 160 160 160 158 160

n 153 160 152 153 137 156 160 160 160 160 160 160

15 D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 159 160

D 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

25 D 150 160 157 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 156

n 155 160 16o 160 158 160 16o 160 160 16o 160 160

42 D 155 160 154 158 160 16o i6o 160 160 160 160 160

D 160 159 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

45 D 160 158 156 160 156 156 160 160 160 160 160 160 D 160 156 158 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

142

Appendix B

Individual Response Data for Experiment II

143

Training Data

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR ref~r to the sector of the display (Upper Left Upper

Right Lower Left and Lower Right) There were four groups of

subjects and the group may be determined by the type (dot or

star) of distinctive feature and the location (on positive

or negative trials) of the distinctive feature A subject

trained with 2 dots and 1 star positive for example would

belong to the feature positive group and the distinctive

feature was a star Training with 2 stars and one dot negative

on the other hand would mean that the subject would belong to

the dot feature negative group The entries in the tables are roll

responses to common blank and distinctive features and pound-only

and pound~ trials

144

Subject 33 2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

- ~ 2 1 4-

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 15 9 6 31 57 12 43 ~3 68 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 69 61 81 58 14 85 65 50 19 3 0 0 0 0 0

LL 13 5 2 20 62 6 13 9 11 1 0 0 1 0 0

LR 49 75 58 40 22 48 26 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 4 6 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 5 18 26 23 2 22 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 42 54 58 55 2 59 38 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 5 4 9 13 18 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 45 52 51 36 6 14 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 10 12 8 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 0 4 2 5 0

d - Responses

UL 2 0 1 4 39 14 26 35 37 36 36 36 37 37 38 UR 10 8 9 4 18 35 34 34 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 LL 1 1 0 3 38 6 13 15 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 LR 14 17 middot2 5 15 14 6 18 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

11- 12

145

Subject 50

2 Dots and 1 Star Po13itive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 ~ 2 l 4 6 1 8 2 2 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 7 19 14 0 0 11 + 14 15 17 8 5 0 1

UR 95 84 58 42 79 61 67 81 64 75 72 57 24 0 1

LL 2 8 6 23 16 28 24 13 25 33 17 9 5 3 5 LR 43 56 86 87 81 107 54 78 60 46 47 70 19 0 7

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 2 0 0 2 0

UR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0 7 2 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 l 1 1 2 2 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 25 22 35 24 47 18 25 17 26 16 0 0 0 1

UR 69 73 52 62 53 27 47 66 56 48 36 24 1 6 9

LL 0 4 19 14 35 40 5 15 32 38 25 0 2 0 1

LR 46 49 75 58 75 91 27 68 46 53 54 44 13 12 16

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

UR 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 4 2 9 6 7 4 7 8 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 5 1 3

LR 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 2 8 2 10

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 16 43 42 43 UR 9 2 1 3 0 4 3 5 5 1 8 26 39 37 42 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 2 15 39 42 40 LR 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 15 31 35 37 38

146

middot Subject 66

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Djfferential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4- 6- 2 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

middotc - Responses

UL 4 19 29 31 24 32 33 18 1 0 0 0 3 0 0

UR 53 56 51 74 102 112 106 48 7 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 26 lto 41 22 9 4 3 19 21 3 0 0 2 3 0

LR 68 35 32 24 21 14 15 18 19 1 0 0 1 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 4 4 2 3 9 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 9 23 29 32 23 24 8 1 0 1 0 1 8 0 0

UR 51 45 43 54 66 62 33 5 1 4 0 1 3 4 6

LL 33 37 41 30 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

LR 48 40 31 32 28 16 6 4 0 1 5 1 5 6 4

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 LL 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

LR 1 2 3 3 6 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

d - Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 1 5 30 39 42 42 42 44 45 4o 41

UR 0 0 5 6 14 32 41 33 41 43 4o 43 42 42 41

LL 2 3 3 1 2 7 24 41 41 41 37 39 42 4o 4o

LR 5 2 4 4 1 6 18 39 41 44 46 41 4o 4o 4o

147

Subject 59

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 4 2 6 1 8 2 10- 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 11 31 35 47 10 28 44 32 43 43 99 64 61 94 61

UR 86 55 33 8 18 21 14 25 25 25 35 42 31 12 33 LL 2 35 38 63 71 57 74 39 38 42 20 33 41 38 46

LR 4o 19 31 25 41 35 9 49 33 46 15 19 21 14 19

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

UR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 21 26 39 36 39 35 22 50 60 50 62 47 34 49 43 UR 62 45 27 16 20 21 9 9 17 18 16 15 19 16 13 LL 3 19 49 61 42 56 67 48 33 25 21 31 4o 32 17

LR 49 49 23 32 4o 14 17 0 12 14 26 17 17 17 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 13 17 4o 14 28 33 29 32 UR 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 4 13 11 7 17 LL 0 0 1 0 0 7 12 17 5 20 13 9 14 12 26

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 6 4 0 1 0 0

148

Subject 56

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 4 2 6 1 ~ ~ 12 11 12-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 68 42 36 51 18 35 2 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0

UR 10 1 2 1 59 32 7 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0

LL 66 89 99 79 6 25 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

LR 10 11 10 16 51 12 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 47 29 26 38 13 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 7 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 51 64 64 44 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 9 5 3 8 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 3 11 13 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 15 11 13 23 15 4o 40 41 42 38 43 44 42 43 45

UR 4 1 0 6 21 34 42 42 44 45 42 43 45 43 39

LL 23 27 29 26 4 38 42 41 40 4o 44 43 45 42 45

LR 1 0 1 3 3 42 43 43 44 44 42 45 42 44 45

149

Subject 57

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

-g_ 2 pound 2 4 2 2 z ~ 2 Q 11 12-c - Trials

_ c - Responses

UL 28 37 45 49 49 44 8 0 4 0 ) 1 1 0 0

UR 27 21 32 20 26 17 12 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 0

2LL 59 58 57 68 69 21 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 35 27 18 21 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 3 1 2 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 2 7 2 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 13 21 18 7 3 11 6 3 6 6 13 14 12 14

UR 14 11 9 6 1 0 11 5 9 17 18 40 46 53 39

LL 32 19 18 26 9 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

LR 15 9 8 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 8 8 13 16

Blank Responses

UL 2 0 5 2 2 4 5 3 4 6 4 8 9 8 8

UR 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 5 6 9 12 20 17 17 19

LL 1 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8 3 8 5

d- Responses

UL 16 19 23 26 31 36 36 31 35 35 29 26 28 29 27

UR 13 14 18 22 32 36 36 21 36 34 30 37 36 39 40

LL 26 26 21 30 32 33 33 14 27 19 15 10 20 12 14

LR 27 27 25 25 35 36 23 16 24 20 27 20 30 31 29

150

Subject 68 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 6 z 2 lQ g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 13 20 4 5 35 16 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 33 49 43 68 49 14 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

LL 41 32 10 14 35 5 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 74 65 84 66 24 3 4 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Blank Responses

UL 2 middot1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 8 0 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 4 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 14 28 26 26 3 0 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1

LL middot 10 8 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0

LR 37 29 29 35 5 3 6 2 7 5 0 3 5 3 2

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 6 3 7 5 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 LL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 4 8 5 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 3 2

d - Responses

UL 15 12 13 13 39 42 42 42 4o 33 41 44 44 41 UR 26 28 29 27 34 35 39 38 42 33 37 39 37 40 LL 15 12 7 22 31 39 35 37 36 38 39 34 36 36 LR 34 31 31 37 33 41 38 38 42 37 38 39 37 4o

151

Subject 69 2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin6

~ 2 2 2 4- 2 sect 2 sect 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 41 15 52 49 5 1 3 0 9 1 1 0 1 1 5 UR 21 8 19 23 12 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 5 0 1

LL 49 76 58 41 8 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 43 45 18 33 25 7 0 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 5

Blank Responses UL 2 2 o 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1 0 1 0 0

LL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

LR 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses UL 12 2 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

UR 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 14 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B1alk Responses

UL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 29 38 39 41 49 48 46 47 46 47 46 46 47 48 45

UR 27 16 30 4o 46 46 43 45 43 47 46 45 42 46 44

LL 31 36 39 45 46 46 42 46 43 43 44 44 44 46 45

LR 23 40 32 43 47 47 42 44 42 46 45 46 47 45 50

152

Subject 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 g_ 2 4 2 ~ z sect 2 1Q 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 26 26 26 16 39 28 22 16 20 26 24 28 26 21

UR 42 48 71 67 72 52 71 46 63 32 35 47 50 73 70 LL 28 20 14 26 17 18 8 24 14 22 30 9 21 12 15

LR 86 69 45 32 50 43 37 36 46 64 28 42 46 23 39

Blank Responses

UL 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 4

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 31 8 39 11 18 26 19 36 19 37 34 31

UR 44 49 48 43 62 47 47 29 40 53 20 41 32 42 57 LL 25 14 24 21 13 24 13 21 14 26 28 14 21 12 11

LR 64 62 33 38 32 20 54 4 43 45 4 31 42 35 25

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 0

UR 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 3 8 2

LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL omiddot o 7 12 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 0 2 1 0

UR 0 4 14 8 17 11 12 12 9 3 2 0 0 5 3 LL 8 8 8 0 4 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 13 7 6 17 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

153

middot Subject 58

2 Dots and l Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ l 4- 6- z 8- 2 Q 11-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 20 l2 35 36 31 27 28 44 25 33 55 49 36 52 49 UR 44 39 37 41 43 22 21 8 31 25 22 31 25 15 16

LL 53 44 64 56 63 69 74 79 69 74 53 54 64 58 64

LR 6o 64 55 42 38 32 28 19 18 21 23 22 23 21 28

Blank Responses

UL 0 l 4 4 3 0 l 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 l

UR l 3 4 13 15 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 l

LL 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2

LR 20 2 14 11 7 2 l l 2 0 1 0 l 4 3

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 11 18 39 26 26 32 41 30 27 46 33 31 34 42

tJR 26 20 37 35 33 31 28 12 16 17 13 17 16 16 20 LL 41 28 41 32 36 62 61 54 4o 47 37 41 4o 4o 26

LR 50 45 39 29 36 39 31 10 24 18 14 15 15 18 15

Blank Responses

UL 1 2 4 7 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 l 0 l

UR 6 10 6 14 11 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 l 2 0

LL 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 l 3 7 5 2

LR 18 20 16 10 7 6 2 2 0 l 2 3 3 3 2

d - Responses

UL 2 2 5 13 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 8 10 7 22 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

LL 8 11 13 15 8 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 3 1 4

LR 21 24 18 8 10 3 1 1 0 l l 0 l 0 l

154

middot Subject 67

2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

g_ l g_ 2 2 sect 1 sect 2 10 ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 29 21 35 39 31 48 64 57 64 69 53 60 82 74 85 UR 23 68 97 103 90 62 85 91 104 80 113 106 93 89 85 LL5627 3 411 28 10 2 1 2 1 0 2 7 1

LR 43 29 17 5 28 16 18 5 2 3 0 2 0 4 3

Blank Responses

UL 5 1 2 0 3 6 15 2 6 3 2 1 4 2 5 UR 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 38 38 41 4o 37 42 4o 44 57 49 50 6o 63 66 63 UR 19 54 67 74 61 55 62 71 70 77 73 80 74 72 87 LL 44 24 5 7 14 22 11 2 6 2 3 2 2 7 8

LR 44 26 31 29 38 27 28 26 17 21 16 11 20 6 9

Blank Responses

UL 8 9 0 1 6 2 8 6 9 5 8 3 7 3 8

UR 1 3 2 1 2 2 5 2 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 LL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

d - Responses

UL 5 2 2 2 1 3 7 5 3 1 7 8 1 9 4

UR 1 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 2 2 5 6 6 5 1

LL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

155

Subject 73 2 Dots and 1 Star Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training

4 2 Differential Training

6 z 8 2 10 11 12

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 54 39 61

UR 33 44 38

LL363634

22

69

8

14

50

12

14

68 8

9

72

15

6

77

8

12

79

16

9 91

2

7

91

7

4

93

2

1

103

0

6

109

1

7

101

6

LR 37 73 50 71 84 87 75 77 71 85 78 76 58 53 53

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR

LL

LR

1

3

6

2

0

3

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

0

4

0

0

7

3 0

9

2

0

1

1

0

3

3 0

2

3 0

1

3 0

5

5 0

7

3 0

5

7 0

8

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 49 42 50

UR 32 25 46

LL 37 38 30

23

46

13

25

36

32

24

17

19

48 27

32

47

15

22

56

29

28

66

6

18

62

22

26

65

14

23

75

7

25

78

5

22

73

10

LR 44 45 41 63 64 70 62 62 64 53 59 54 46 56 52

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0

UR 7 3 1

LL 0 5 3 LR 5 8 4

0

5 0

3

0

3

0

4

0

2

0

2

0

1

0

7

0

2

1

2

1

1

0

5

0

11

0

7

0

3 1

2

0

8

1

1

0

6

0

9

1

10

0

5

0

6

0

4

d - Responses

UL 3 5 0

UR 4 0 2

LL 0 2 2

LR 5 8 3

0

7 2

15

1

5 0

4

0

5 1

12

0

3 0

6

0

2

5 2

0

0

0

4

0

9 0

2

0

0

0

4

0

1

0

3

0

4

0

3

0

14

0

2

0

8

0

1

156

Subject 51

2 Stars ~d 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 14 14 57 87 62 65 44 52 41 6l 82 75 87 94

UR 47 _45 52 40 35 61 15 33 17 22 11 11 5 3 6 LL 16 27 22 39 31 28 40 50 51 54 69 45 73 66 58

LR 78 64 62 17 12 12 12 32 53 53 22 30 19 11 8

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 5 4 5 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 0 7 46 36 44 59 35 45 51 63 68 61 71

UR 2 2 2 6 16 56 26 4o 15 24 26 36 22 24 11

LL 2 2 2 5 35 37 38 29 zo 56 50 52 54 62 50

LR 11 5 2 1 7 15 18 22 50 44 35 20 24 15 20

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

LL 0 0 0 0 0 1 bull

0 middoto 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

LR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0

d - Responses

UL 28 37 39 38 24 3 4 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 3

UR 37 34 36 33 8 11 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LL 42 38 39 36 21 5 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1

LR 40 41 37 29 6 4 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

157

Subject 53 2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

pound 2 pound 2 4 2 sect z ~ 2 10 11 12 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 13 13 16 13 25 11 8 7 11 20 9 2 5 1

UR 28 43 49 65 68 67 64 45 40 41 70 77 79 70 69 LL 51 23 28 20 19 25 17 42 46 33 17 8 4 6 1

LR 58 74 69 53 42 43 66 62 8o 76 51 57 65 68 87

Blank Responses

UL 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 3 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 5 6 3 9

LL 10 3 1 4 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

LR 11 20 19 9 0 5 5 3 3 2 0 2 0 0 0

cd -Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 10 16 35 10 19 9 14 13 35 33 32 17 15 UR 12 27 34 44 43 49 49 36 32 43 38 52 62 63 53 LL 22 13 15 6 19 30 18 33 39 38 11 10 4 4 7

LR 40 55 55 47 34 29 48 53 58 41 52 50 42 55 65

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 2 2 3 4 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 1 2 2 0

LLll 0 4 2 0 3 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0

LR 15 26 17 10 0 10 5 9 5 5 1 1 1 0 0

d - Responses

UL 2 3 4 3 4 3 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

UR 9 12 10 15 14 14 8 4 3 4 6 2 3 2 9 LL 18 3 4 8 0 8 1 7 15 7 1 0 0 0 0

LR 27 25 26 16 5 11 8 9 8 10 3 4 1 12 5

158

Subject 63

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

shy 2 ~ 2 2 6 z ~ 2 Q g g c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 56 69 64 50 51 39 43 38 22 21 20 10 10 7 13

UR 27 _30 34 20 36 35 42 56 68 61 66 64 67 27 97

LL 48 30 41 59 46 56 43 36 25 19 13 23 15 8 7

LR 16 18 12 20 22 21 26 27 41 48 59 56 55 61 32

Blank Responses

UL 4 4 4 1 0 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

UR 3 2 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

_LR 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 26 24 23 30 33 33 36 4o 31 21 30 19 17 11 17

UR 3 9 11 9 20 22 27 44 45 47 47 4o 48 44 56

LL 9 10 12 21 41 50 42 34 37 29 24 34 15 22 4 LR 5 3 5 5 13 28 32 22 29 41 43 47 44 47 27

Blank Responses

UL 3 4 0 1 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

UR 1 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 2 5 3 3 7 2 5 LL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 0 5 1 0

d - Responses

UL 33 35 32 27 15 5 0 2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0

UR 21 23 23 19 10 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 1 0

LL 27 25 26 14 13 11 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

LR 28 20 23 21 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 4 0 3 0

159

Subject 64 2 Stars ruld 1 Dot Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

2 2 ~ 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 5 5 2 3 10 18 17 10 25 20 15 14 27 21 20

UR 25 23 37 48 62 51 45 46 24 18 36 32 24 27 28

LL 28 22 16 27 25 31 32 24 42 69 61 52 54 52 31 LR 70 89 73 70 54 60 68 63 71 56 57 70 65 74 82

Blank Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

LL 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 2

LR 17 9 9 6 2 4 6 0 2 3 4 3 2 2 4

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 2 3 0 14 6 13 14 8 22 22 24 19 17 22 21

UR 8 23 36 43 50 47 47 47 36 28 25 23 31 32 35 LL 18 16 10 20 17 30 33 18 35 45 47 46 51 4o 34

LR 56 61 52 47 41 45 59 55 50 50 54 61 50 58 57

Blank Resporses

UL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 1

UR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

LL 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1

LR 12 13 9 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 5 0 2 0 5

d - Responses

UL 5 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 1 0 2

UR 3 4 9 9 17 13 3 8 3 1 1 0 1 2 1

LL 14 5 4 4 5 0 1 0 3 0 3 1 4 1 3

LR 26 27 30 11 15 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 3 4 6

160

Extinction Test Data in Experiment II

The following table entries are the total number of

responses made to each display during the five sessions of

testing Notation is the same as for training

161

Experiment 2

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the

Extinction Tests

Diselats

~ ~ tfj ttJ E8 E8 Subjects

2 Stars and 1 Dot Positive

56 107 0 87 0 87 0

57 149 12 151 1 145 6

68 122 9 129 3 112 0

69 217 7 24o 18 209 16

2 Dots and 1 Star Positive

33 91 3 101 3 90 0

50 207 31 253 30 205 14

59 145 156 162 150 179 165

66 74 1 74 7 74 6

2 Stars and 1 Dot Negative

51 96 111 6o 115 9 77 53 87 98 69 87 7 74

63 106 146 54 1o8 15 56 64 82 68 44 83 18 55

2 Dots and 1 Star Neeative

55 124 121 120 124 10 117

58 93 134 32 111 0 53

67 24o 228 201 224 27 203

73 263 273 231 234 19 237

162

Appendix C

Individual Response Data for F~periment III

Training Data (Distributed Groups)

The following tables contain individual response data

for each session of training The abbreviations UL UR LL

and LR refer to the sector of the display in which the response

occurred (Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left Lower Right)

There were four distributed groups of subjects and the group

may be determined by the type (red or green distinctive feature)

and the location (on positive or negative trials) of the

distinctive feature A red feature positive subject for example

was trained with a red distinctive feature on positive trials

The entries in the tables are total responses per session to

common and distinctive features on pound-only and pound~-trials

Subject 16 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

~ 2 1 ~ 2 4 2 sect 1 8 2 Q 12 12 plusmn 12 2 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 14 12 23 15 44 17 5 0 13 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 120 124 88 107 59 35 6 1 1 7 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 4 2 7 12 31 7 1 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 24 18 22 21 18 0 6 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 2 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 6 3 9 5 0 1 0 0 4 7 1 3 4 9 10 2 0 1 2 UR 89 82 69 66 9 13 18 18 15 17 13 5 1 6 15 2 3 2 0 LL 2 1 4 4 2 7 6 4 2 0 1 3 3 5 1 2 1 3 0 LR 8 6 8 6 1 10 29 28 2 9 10 3 1 3 6 3 0 3 0

d - Responses UL 4 5 17 14 48 47 40 39 42 35 42 48 46 47 40 43 44 40 42

UR 40 37 36 35 47 49 51 45 40 38 45 36 4o 40 39 41 38 42 42 0

~

LL 3 2 2 16 48 50 39 45 41 39 42 35 46 4o 35 45 bull2 43 42

LR 6 9 3 14 39 42 49 41 45 44 43 43 44 45 42 44 42 45 46

Subject 29

Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 g 2 4- 2 euro 1 ~ 2 lQ g ll t ll 12 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 82 79 90 59 25 35 43 22 0 3 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 UR 32 37 30 50 71 107 115 19 0 2 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 4 0

LL 27 32 35 19 zz 4 5 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

LR 7 0 1 0 6 6 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 52 62 63 45 9 19 13 0 11 21 22 10 19 20 23 13 4 9 12

UR 12 25 28 32 27 33 30 3 1 2 9 6 19 13 17 45middot 47 36 34 LL 9 18 25 11 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 LR 2 1 6 1 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 ~ 4 6 8 1

d - Responses UL 33 30 23 17 24 34 39 33 37 33 29 35 35 39 38 29 19 18 28

UR

LL

19 10

9 2

4

3

16

9

35 15

33 12

35 19

36

32 36 29

41

19

40

25

44

27

36 11

37 13

41

13

36 10

38 19

35

7 33 12

0IJImiddot

LR 9 3 1 5 21 22 16 24 37 34 32 33 25 28 25 17 16 23 20

Subject O Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Trainins

2 2 pound 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q ll ~ ~ 1t 2 ~ c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 50 54 59 24 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 99 106 103 40 34 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LL 13 7 11 43 24 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 18 14 10 72 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 16 8 12 0 2 0 0 0 4 5 0 24 5 14 14 17 11 3 4 UR 20 24 43 19 4 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 LL 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 4 3 2 8 6 0 0 LR 8 If 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 42 43 26 36 46 45 45 lt8 45 40 47 45 45 43 45 43 43 45 44 UR 40 44 45 44 46 43 45 47 45 44 45 38 43 41 40 37 4o 43 40 0

0

LL 30 36 32 42 47 49 45 lt-9 44 42 45 35 43 35 36 36 40 43 42 LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44

Subject 46 Red Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Traininamp Differential Training

l pound 2 l 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- 2 14- i 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 61 42 20 74 15 0 0 4 0 4 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 UR 69 92 72 63 4 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 LL 15 7 5 3 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 14 11 31 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 7 12 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

UR 18 43 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 4 4 2 LL 0 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

LR 2 4 28 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0

d - Responses

UL 30 22 12 30 41 4o 37 42 42 38 38 37 4o 35 38 37 35 32 37 UR 36 31 14 35 39 39 38 45 4o 38 36 36 39 36 37 37 36 37 38 t-

0 -

LL 27 20 9 36 45 39 39 42 36 33 37 37 38 35 36 36 36 34 38 LR 34 19 17 38 45 42 45 43 39 37 38 37 38 36 37 35 36 35 36

Subject 19

Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Ditferential Training Differential Trainins

c - Trials

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 1 8- 2 Q 12 ll ll 12 12

c - Responses

UL 77 UR 23

74 13

57 46

65 52

49 73

51 76

84 67

67 52

57 73

42 43

64 32

28 8

6 0

1 0

0 2

2

5

0 0

3 4

1 0

LL 48 78 46 4o 20 34 22 19 11 41 29 7 1 4 0 2 0 2 0 LR 13 7 27 20 24 11 26 39 29 42 4o 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 66 66 47 61 50 58 74 4o 22 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 18 13 59 46 53 32 50 79 22 19 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LL 47 64 4o 27 4o 42 37 29 19 19 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 36 26 29 33 35 35 4 20 43 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 UR 0 LL 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

9 0 0

9 17 21

23 19 26

36 32 32

39 39 34

41 40

38

42 44 41

41 42 44

44 44

43

42 43 40

41 45 41

42 43 47

0 ogt

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 30 42 26 40 43 42 43 44 41 42

bull

Subject 33 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 pound 2 2 2 4- 2 6- z 8middotshy 2 1Q ll 1pound 12 plusmn 2 12 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 112 130 74 50 87 54 81 91 79 63 85 77 59 20 7 0 0 0 0 UR 36 26 71 91 61 20 11 18 22 28 9 10 39 30 9 0 0 0 0

LL 11 6 34 9 19 77 75 73 71 70 79 6o 57 58 9 0 0 0 0

LR 5 7 28 26 9 19 10 11 0 16 10 23 22 56 4 0 0 0 0

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 84 90 58 77 62 58 85 71 53 37 26 20 12 6 0 0 0 0 0

UR 43 45 64 63 69 4o 14 24 26 26 9 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0

LL 20 18 23 13 28 6o 63 77 98 49 73 26 4 9 0 0 0 0 0

LR 16 23 4o 31 21 19 24 8 4 19 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0

d - Responses UL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 25 30 38 41 38 46 43 47 46 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 27 42 34 37 44 47 38 46 0

()

LL 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 0 17 37 41 39 4o 45 4o 41 45 46

LR 3 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 15 41 44 41 46 45 48 42

Subject 34 Green Featttre Positive

Sessions Pre-Differential

Training Di~ferential Training

2- 2 1 E 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 0- 10 ll g u ~ 12 16 c - Trials c - Responses

UL 45 30 26 9 15 25 13 28 47 74 91 55 85 33 53 44 46 35 39 UR 4o 22 15 30 33 53 37 49 81 50 28 30 26 39 64 89 27 45 51 LL 42 71 71 65 55 38 56 35 29 36 34 52 69 34middot 31 21 59 39 22 LR 43 57 52 70 59 38 50 48 16 20 23 33 17 42 24 15 37 54 47

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 35 24 17 26 23 16 8 30 47 61 30 62 47 45 50 17 4o 23 33 UR 39 23 22 27 39 20 12 24 4o 36 71 22 14 26 30 55 16 47 46 LL 34 59 61 52 39 25 26 26 4 31 23 22 39 28 15 23 45 29 26 LR 29 49 48 42 48 17 26 28 10 15 38 21 17 36 middotmiddot13 20 28 33 20

d - Responses UL 6 1 4 3 l 20 22 13 10 9 0 12 17 7 19 7 5 5 4 1-

--]

UR 10 4 1 0 7 30 38 35 36 28 27 21 25 28 28 26 28 24 33 0

LL 9 10 10 6 4 18 25 10 6 6 1 4 6 3 7 0 6 3 2 LR 4 10 6 6 6 23 27 16 8 0 11 1 16 14 4 25 7 8 1

Subject 42 Green Feature Positive

Sessions

Pre-Differential Tratntns Differential Training

1 pound 2 pound 2 4 2 6 1 8 2 10 11 g 2 ~ 16-c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 8 2 1 3 5 0 31 33 14 39 0 23 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 UR 60 70 9 13 0 5 37 26 24 50 0 61 69 12 0 0 0 0 0 LL 22 20 48 47 87 82 58 36 65 37 95 21 20 6 0 0 3 0 0 LR 8o 84 91 98 50 81 75 89 84 50 5 55 31 14 0 0 1 0 2

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 19 2 8 4 0 24 58 17 6 13 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 UR 53 72 10 12 0 10 56 43 8 15 0 19 0 0 0 0middot 0 0 0 LL 30 38 62 79 64 76 47 66 63 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 70 59 74 73 49 60 52 65 49 17 0 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 37 29 31 42 45 4o 33 49 46 44 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 36 22 31 39 44 41 37 43 42 44 LL 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 17 42 26 41 42 45 4o 29 44 44 44

~ LR 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 19 22 26 25 45 41 37 35 50 44 50 1-

Subject 22

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 6 z 8- 2 1Q g ~ ~ 12 16 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 7 1 12 30 18 13 27 9 9 19 26 35 42 49 31 39 56 48 26 UR 65 70 65 27 63 65 32 46 90 87 92 64 77 60 70 65 52 84 96 LL 3 6 21 35 28 30 32 36 24 12 23 40 34 27 34 32 30 19 5 LR 106 99 69 66 60 59 67 61 40 40 15 23 10 19 19 20 9 11 17

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 0 1 8 13 11 12 11 22 22 38 45 57 35 22 25 37 32 17 UR 39 34 6 35 27 46 29 27 43 67 72 70 67 63 61 54 61 70 60

LL 0 2 13 25 43 36 48 40 35 21 19 25 18 49 32 57 38 17 39 LR 68 43 middot 25 13 60 67 72 80 51 40 37 19 14 14 26 16 18 34 15

d - Responses

UL 0 15 18 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 UR 39 34 33 25 4 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

] 1)

LL 12 22 37 2+ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 LR 16 20 43 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 37

Red Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 1 ~ 2 4- 2 ~ 1 8 2 Q g ~ ll ll 2 c - Trials

c - Responses UL 4 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 28 18 37 20 47 81 40 40 35 51 46 98 80 36 80 64 125 124 142 LL 8 0 27 4 4 3 11 3 9 6 2 7 8 2 2 4 l 6 l LR 122 147 106 143 138 95 130 135 126 110 126 64 91 143 73 110 47 46 13

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 0 ll 4 0 0 6 0 1 3 2 6 2 10 1 0 0 0 2 1 UR 65 25 37 26 53 64 57 75 56 83 71 92 1Cfl 78 55 92 76 89 92 LL 16 22 27 24 20 29 24 5 18 20 9 11 2 3 6 8 2 0 5 LR 84 97 102 111 103 77 86 66 58 51 47 69 54 87 32 81 51 33 14

d - Responses

UL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VI

LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 40 Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainins

1 ~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 Q middot1 ~ ll t 12 16

c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 25 18 3 15 8 9 37 34 69 73 81 95 105 82 62 12 5 19 UR 92 88 98 104 85 76 112 113 lW 33 62 54 45 37 68 82 123 138 124

LL 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 16 6 9 4 8 1 0 0 0 0 LR 16 25 26 34 37 57 7 3 2 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 17 7 7 2 13 10 6 20 24 32 41 64 42 53 28 45 11 7 17 UR 36 46 54 59 71 62 90 78 81 38 55 51 61 46 63 66 89 88 89 LL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 27 17 19 17 7 1 2 0 0 LR 37 27 24 24 44 63 9 16 24 39 18 5 2 2 t 9 5 6 5

d - Responses

UL 6 10 8 0 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-

UR 29 26 29 29 8 5 20 17 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _) shy

LL 4 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LR 27 23 17 23 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 81

Red Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

~ l ~ l 4- 2 6 1 8 2 Q u g 12 ll l2 2 c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 24 37 68 76 88 85 90 94 82 131 144 121 ll7 98 72 97 96 90 83 UR 15 12 9 18 22 16 8 5 28 2 6 10 5 12 17 13 6 3 11 LL 67 93 73 59 46 54 52 56 35 37 35 42 47 47 32 39 54 74 65 LR 50 30 8 7 3 7 11 11 8 3 0 2 3 5 29 15 3 10 5

cd - Trials

c - Responses

UL 10 19 35 71 67 67 6o 61 73 84 90 74 75 69 57 61 68 11 55 UR 9 1 16 13 24 32 25 28 25 29 20 28 25 29 30 19 20 17 29 LL 39 34 34 50 49 51 59 52 27 35 35 31 50 50 40 54 54 60 71 LR 52 28 26 1 5 12 11 17 13 6 6 5 8 9 29 22 15 7 16

d - Responses

UL 4 20 21 13 10 1 3 2 9 1 5 2 2 0 2 1middot 0 2 0 UR 9 25 19 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

~

LL 11 14 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0

LR 23 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 18

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Trainins Differential Training

1 g 2 1 pound 2 4- 2 6- z 8- 2 ~ g g Z 1plusmn 12 16-c - Trials

c - Responses UL 14 11 14 6 4 20 10 19 9 23 50 43 7 38 34 46 42 25 15 UR 16 22 67 66 111 85 109 97 89 74 64 81 123 100 91 78 74 102 111 LL 24 30 5 8 9 16 13 15 5 17 6 5 3 0 4 6 12 2 10 LR 112 108 56 58 8 26 18 17 14 19 13 11 ll 5 2 10 14 7 il

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 1 1 5 6 13 27 11 32 24 32 35 33 23 17 16 46 50 25 13 UR 17 l2 50 65 93 79 87 83 73 67 81 78 92 96 90 71 71 77 96 LL 38 34 3 8 6 9 18 8 4 1 7 7 3 1 5 11 6 4 3 LR 72 78 36 34 15 24 28 24 27 28 23 20 22 36 23 18 18 26 30

d - Responses UL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UR 3 2 37 18 16 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- )

LL 2 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

LR 20 27 11 13 2 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 23

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Training

Sessions

Differentialmiddot Training

~ 2 ~ 2 4- 2 sect z 8- 2 Q ll g ll 1t 12 Jamp c - Trials

c - Responses

UL 35 15 22 38 62 35 49 28 25 37 32 16 21 11 8 15 5 5 9 UR 5 3 3 6 6 5 8 1 9 5 4 5 0 2 5 5 2 1 2 LL 96 117 101 94 85 111 91 115 104 114 112 116 123 130 122 118 129 125 16 LR 12 8 22 9 5 1 0 12 8 5 3 5 2 1 7 8 9 6 6

cd - Trials

c - Responses UL 30 24 22 41 59 47 59 52 42 34 50 28 41 40 32 39 26 31 29 UR 6 1 13 13 1 3 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 4 1 1 4

LL 90 100 79 87 88 81 90 95 90 93 90 99 101 95 91 11 96 88 102 LR 10 7 32 10 2 14 2 6 14 3 5 7 7 5 11 6 20 13 8

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

--3 --3

UR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LL 18 11 4 5 2 1 1 3 7 13 6 13 7 5 0 0 1 0 4

LR 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Subject 27

Green Feature Negative

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential TraininS

g_ 2 g_ 2 4- 2 2 1 8- 2 1Q g g ll ll 12 2 c - Trials c - RespOnses

UL 23 13 22 19 34 21 12 7 8 15 2 18 29 33 53 57 41 30 37 UR 106 123 103 82 95 124 167 134 154 109 130 123 121 113 131 105 100 114 125 LL 31 11 29 50 55 23 9 4 2 5 1 7 9 19 16 8 13 9 14 LR 62 63 78 100 101 95 35 81 36 28 29 36 55 38 36 40 48 30 49

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 13 6 9 23 27 25 14 8 10 10 8 22 20 48 48 53 57 30 57 UR 28 41 50 36 64 105 144 119 119 85 87 89 8o 97 88 99 99 93 96 LL 19 9 19 24 31 23 7 3 3 2 8 6 12 26 26 14 15 4 20 LR 31 26 44 45 71 86 47 46 29 45 36 33 45 42 37 25 27 32 33

d - Responses

UL 22 17 22 12 4 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 UR 39 48 bull3 32 28 13 8 36 29 6 16 26 12 15 13 15 7 8 4

--J

LL 36 23 16 27 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 l 0 1 (X)

LR 30 35 30 32 29 12 7 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 1 2 3 0 0

Subject 43

Green Feature Negative

Pre-Differential Trainins

Sessions

Differential Trainins 1- ~ 2 1- 2- 2 4- 2 6- 1 8- 2 10- 11- 12- ll 14- l2 16-

c -Trials c - Responses

UL 23 10 4o 51 4o 64 83 67 78 52 65 30 50 62 24 34 30 64 39 UR 27 15 46 31 95 38 57 31 52 53 31 46 68 37 72 48 54 31 75 LL 29 39 26 24 30 36 13 23 12 34 38 20 10 29 25 41 31 13 18 LR 94 112 66 71 12 4o 23 39 29 4o 43 84 47 24 56 51 56 70 45

cd - Trials c - Responses

UL 27 2 29 4o 61 49 63 62 54 50 79 43 25 44 49 37 25 66 31 UR 33 18 28 39 50 44 43 64 36 55 22 41 50 52 53 47 47 55 61 LL 44 53 49 53 33 27 15 9 19 12 28 10 24 49 14 36 18 31 20 LR 54 83 44 38 3 54 42 29 49 61 49 85 74 34 54 62 8 25 66

d - Responses UL 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 UR 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~

~

LL 9 10 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LR 7 11 17 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

180

Training Data (Compact Groups)

The following tables contain the total number of

responses made per session to pound-only trials (common trials)

and poundamp-trials (distinctive feature trials) by each subject

in the four groups trained with compact displays Notation

is same as distributed groups

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Positive Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials ~1ring Each Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Training

1 2 Subjects

Red Feature Positive

2 1 E 2 4- 2 6- z 8 2 10- 11 g 12 1t 12 1amp

50 c 140 136 144 cd 142 136 144

54 c 144 144 141~

cd 140 144 144

69 c 143 150 147 cd 144 146 150

91 c 141bull 143 144 cd 144 136 141bull

Green Feature Positive

144 145 141 144

152 152 140 141

144 144 144 142 160 151 144 144

144 144 144 144

149 151 15~ 157

144 144

103 144 158 150 144 144

70 144

8 145 29

146 111+ 144

5 144

8 146

11 148

20 144

11 144

5 139

5 144

4 144

9 144

0 144

12 144

1 144

6 144

4 144

4 143

0 137

1 144

12 144

5 144

8 143

3 144

1 144 11

158 12

144

4 14o

4 144

4 158 12

14bull

5 144

0 144

0 151

8 142

5 144

3 144

2 155

3 144

4 156

0 144

4 160

12 144

4 144

0 144

6 157

8 11+1

47

56

57

92

c cd

c cd

c cd

c cd

149 148 144 157 126 144 133 146 143 134 140 143 144 11+4 144 142

148 14o 144 144 140 144 144 141bull

156 150 150 148 143 144 143 146

152 150 148 150 11+4 144 144 14l~

157 162

149 151 144 144 144 11bull4

168 166 148 151

23 144 144 144

148 11+2

14o 145

4 144 141 144

65 148 16

138 4

144 144 144

36 150

42 140

0 144

132 144

19 146

136 144

0 144

42 144

13 152

68 144

0 144 14

144

6 158

27 144

0 144

13 144

13 143 38

144 0

1+4

7 144

15 146

38 144

1 144 10

144

7 153 20

144 8

144

5 144

2 155 18

145 4

144

7 144

6 158

4 141

4 144 15

144

4 143

4 14o

0 144 16

140

00

Experiment 113 Total Number of Responses Made by Compact Feature Negative Subjects to c-Only and cd Trials During Each

Session of Training

Sessions

Pre-Differential Training Differential Trainin~

Subjects 1- 2 2 1 g_ 2 4 2 6 z 8 2 10 ll 12- 12 14 12 16

Red Feature Negative

48 c cd

168 165

167 160

159 162

160 160

151 157

153 159

165 160

138 133

139 140

133 140

143 123

147 102

136 91

146 101

139 60

134 30

147 29

150 30

146 29

55 c cd

141 141

151 146

144 11t4

149 148

144 11-6

144 11+9

167 165

144 148

139 64

144 56

144 70

144 71

145 20

144 3

144 1

144 2

144 4

146 0

144 0

59 c cd

144 1lbull4 144 144

144 144

144 144

11+4 144

144 144

11bull4 141t

143 136

11+4 134

144 104

142 76

144 68

144 29

144 23

144 20

litO 12

143 40

144 20

144 18

66 c cd

144 147

146 145

144 144

145 147

150 145

149 149

163 154

160 154

150 11+5

152 142

149 130

152 97

163 101

149 86

148 82

146 101

160 100

160 97

161 85

Green Feature Negative

53 c cd

130 130

138 138

140 140

144 144

144 144

137 140

140 144

144 144

ltO 140

144 144

140 140

140 140

144 144

144 144

139 141

149 144

137 110

144 140

136 120

64 c cd

151 155

154 155

151 151

149 146

160 155

159 158

165 160

160 160

150 151

161 149

156 66

155 41

157 62

162 95

146 30

154 38

156 40

157 40

151 4o

67 c cd

144 141t

144 143

136 144

144 144

141 142

14lt 144

144 144

144 143

1+0 144

144 144

141 14lt

142 144

144 144

144 144

144 144

140 141

144 118

144 96

141 71

93 c cd

145 1lt2

101 102

litO 140

138 144

144 142

144 145

11+4 143

144 144

141 137

144 82

146 48

146 14

140 1

140 12

142 6

144 13

144 20

140 17

135 12

OJ 1)

Experiment 3

Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During the Extinction Tests--Distributed Groups

d d-Rsp c e-Rsp c e-RsptffiJ tffiJ E E[(J rn fill rn Red Feature Positive

Submiddotiects 16 132 132 1 96 0 87 0 0 0 138 0 29 117 89 4 107 1 105 37 1 1 102 0 30 116 116 0 106 0 108 0 0 0 123 0 46 79 79 0 65 0 52 0 0 0 69 0

Green Feature Positive Subjects

19 131 131 0 40 2 27 0 0 0 132 0 33 162 162 4 lt9 0 58 4 5 5 172 10 34 142 75 102 Bo 53 80 39 75 56 107 88 42 129 129 0 69 0 108 0 0 0 144 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

22 28 0 36 9 33 15 6 25 16 0 4 37 44 0 61 1 2 32 20 61 24 2 0 LJo 47 0 50 12 37 42 20 35 18 0 2 81 91 0 109 30 34 67 49 53 31 3 36

Green Feature Negative subrscts

lfB49 0 29 25 26 20 43 19 0 25 23 73 0 72 41 55 50 28 87 34 4 49

1-27 131 10 126 66 65 111 76 107 76 25 95 ())

43 124 0 152 105 129 119 71 120 34 58 106 VJ

Experiment 3 Total Number of Responses Made to Each Display During Extinction Tests--Compact Groups

d d-Rsp c c cg

c-Rsp c-Rsptffi] tffiJ 58 ~5ill 5ill till 6E

Red Feature Positive Subjects

50 loB 103 10 149 14 115 0 15 10 93 13 54 80 78 3 78 1 72 1 1 0 62 0 69 48 41 0 155 2 163 0 0 0 24 0 91 57 49 13 109 1 114 0 0 0 29 5

Green Feature Positive Subjects

47 111 88 12 100 7 101 6 1 1 107 20 56 30 28 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 14 0 57 81 81 15 158 17 131 0 12 1 70 15 92 120 110 10 139 12 133 3 7 3 113 0

Red Feature Negative Subiects

L~8 21 1 44 41 156 30 21 122 13 0 11 55 4 1 14 14 181 28 3 192 6 9 29 59 14 0 23 35 78 11 8 96 29 2 24 66 38 0 58 42 110 21 6 100 24 4 30

Green Feature Negative Subjects

53 12 0 16 46 97 54 6 119 17 3 11 1-64 9 0 28 40 131 27 7 134 0 0 9 00 -+=67 13 0 13 41 88 66 9 82 0 0 0

93 5 0 5 0 106 0 0 8o 11 2 4

Appendix D

186

Preference Experiment

This Experiment was designed to find two stimuli which

when presented simultaneously to the pigeon would be equally

preferred

Rather than continue using shapes (circles and stars)

where an equality in terms of lighted area becomes more difficult

to achieve it was decided to use colours Red green and

blue circles of equal diameter and approximately equal brightness

were used Tests for preference levels were followed by

discrimination training to provide an assessment of their

discriminability

Method

The same general method and apparatus system as that

used in Experiment II was used in the present experiment

Stimuli

As the spectral sensitivity curves for pigeons and humans

appear to be generally similar (Blough 1961) the relative

brightness of the three colours (red green blue) were equated

using human subjects The method of Limits was used (Dember

1960) to obtain relative brightness values Kodak Wratten neutral

density filters were used to vary the relative brightness levels

The stimuli were two circles 18 inch in diameter placed

1116 inch apart each stimulus falling on a separate key

12The data for the three human subjects may be found at the end of this appendix

187

The colours were obtained by placing a Kodak Wratten

filter over the transparent c_ircle on the slide itself The

following is a list of the colour filters and the neutral

density filters used for each stimulus

Red - Wratten Filter No 25

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 03

Green Wratten Bilter No 58

+ Wratten Neutral Density Filter with a density of 10

Blue - Wratten Filter No 47

+ Vlra ttcn Neutral Density Filter vri th a density of 10

The absorption curves for all these filters may be found

in a pamphlet entitled Kodak Wratten Filters (1965)

The stimuli were projected on the back of the translucent

set of keys by a Kodak Hodel 800 Carousel projector The voltage

across the standard General Electric DEK 500 watt bulb was dropped

from 120 volts to 50 volts

Only two circles appeared on any given trial each colour

was paired with another colour equally often during a session

Only the top two keys contained the stimuli and the position of one

coloured circle relative to another coloured circle was changed in

188

a random fashion throughout the session

Recording

As in previous experiments 4 pecks anTnhere on the

display terminated the trial The number of responses made on

~ach sector of the key along with data identifying the stimuli

in each sector were recorded on printing counters

Training

Three phases of training were run During the first

phase (shaping) animals were trained to peck the key using the

Brown ampJenkins (1965) autoshaping technique described in Chapter

Two During this training all the displays present during preshy

differential training (ie red-green blue-green red-blue)

were presented and reinforced Each session of shaping consisted

of 60 trials Of the six animals exposed to this auto-shaping

procedure all six had responded by the second session of training

The remaining session of this phase was devoted to raising the

response requirement from 1 response to 4 responses During this

session the tray was only operated if the response requirement

had been met within the seven second trial on period

Following the shaping phase of the experiment all subjects

were given six sessions of pre-differential training consisting of

60 trials per session During this phase each of the three types

of trial was presented equally often during each session and all

completed trials were reinforced

The results of pre-differential training indicated that

subjects responded to red and green circles approximately equally

often ~nerefore in the differential phase of training subjects

were required to discriminate between red circles and green circles

Subjects were given 3 sessions of differential training with each

session being comprised of 36 positive or 36 negative trials

presented in a random order On each trial the display contained

either two red circles or two green circles Three subjects

were trained with the two red circles on the positive display while

the remaining three subjects had two green circleson the positive

display In all other respects the differential phase of training

was identical to that employed in Experiment II

Design

Six subjects were used in this experiment During the

shaping and pre-differential phases of training all six subjects

received the same treatment During differential training all

six subjects were required to discriminate between a display

containing two red circles and a display containing two green

circles Three subjects were trained with the two red circles

on the positive display and three subjects were trained with the

two green circles on the positive display

Results

Pre-differential Training

The results of the pre-differential portion of training

are shovm in Table 5 The values entered in the table were

190

determined by calculating the proportion of the total response

which was made to each stimulus (in coloured circle) in the

display over the six pre-differential training sessions

It is clear from Table 5 that when subjects were

presented with a display which contained a blue and a green

circle subjects responded to the green circle ~t a much higher

than chance (50) level For four of the six subjects this

preference for green was almost complete in that the blue

circle was rarely responded to The remaining two subjects also

preferred the green circle however the preference was somewhat

weaker

A similar pattern of responding was formed when subjects

were presented with a red and a blue circle on the same display

On this display four of the six subjects had an overv1helming

preference for the red circle while the two remaining subjects

had only a very slight preference for the red circle

When a red and a green circle appeared on the same display

both circles were responded to Four of the six subjects responded

approximately equally often to the red and green circles Of the

remaining two subjects one subject had a slight preference for

the red circle while the other showed a preference for the green

circle

A comparison of the differences in the proportion of

responses made to each pair of circles revealed that while the

difference ranged from 02 to 30 for the red-green pair the range

191

Table 5

Proportion of Total Responses Made to Each Stimulus

Within a Display

Display

Subjects Blue-Green Red-Blue Red-Green

A 05 95 97 03 51 49 B 38 62 57 43 49 51 c 35 65 57 43 58 42 D 03 97 10 oo 35 65 E 01 99 98 02 51 49 F 02 98 98 02 54 46

Mean 14 86 85 15 50 50

192

was considerably higher for the red-blue pair (14 to 94) and

the blue-green pair (24 to 98)

As these results indicated that red and green circles

were approximately equally preferred the six subjects were given

differential training between two red circles and two green circles

Discrimination Training

The results of the three sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 6 It is clear from Table 6 that all six

subjects had formed a successive discrimination by the end of

session three Further there were no differences in the rate of

learning between the two groups It is evident then that the

subjects could differentiate betwaen the red and green circles

and further the assignment of either red or green as the positive

stimulus is without effect

Discussion

On the basis of the results of the present experiment

red and green circles were used as stimuli in Experiment III

However it was clear from the results of Experiment III

that the use of red and green circles did not eliminate the

strong feature preference Most subjects had strong preferences

for either red or green However these preferences may have

~ Xdeveloped during training and not as was flrst expectedby1

simply a reflection of pre-experimental preferences for red and

green If one assumes for example that subjects enter the

193

Table 6

Proportion of Total Responses Hade to the Positive

Display During Each Session by Individual Subjects

Session

l 2 3

Subjects Red Circles Positive

A 49 67 85 B 50 72 92 c 54 89 -95

Green Circles Positive

D 50 61 -93 E 52 95 middot99 F 50 -79 98

194

experiment with a slight preference for one colour then

exposure to an autoshaping procedure would ~nsure that responding

would become associated with the preferred stimulus If the

preferred stimulus appears on all training displays there would

be no need to learn to respond to the least preferred stimulus

unless forced to do so by differential training In Experiment

III for example a distributed green feature positive subject

who had an initial preference for red circles would presumably

respond to the red circle during autoshaping As the red circles

appear qn both pound-Only and poundpound-displays the subject need never

learn to respond to green until differential training forces him

to do so

The results of Experiment III showed that the distributed

green feature positive subjects took longer to form both the

simultaneous and the successive discrimination than did the red

feature positive subjects It is argued here that the reason

for this differential lies in the fact that these subjects preferred

to peck at the red circles and consequently did not associate the

response to the distinctive feature until after differential

training was begun

This argument implies that if the subject were forced to

respond to both features during pre-differential training then

this differential in learning rate would have been reduced

Results of the training on compact displays would seem to

indicate that this is the case Both red and green feature positive

195

subjects learned the discrimination at the same rate The close

proximity of the elements may have made it very difficult for

subjects to avoid associating the response to both kinds of features

during pre-differential training

Similarly in the present experiment subjects probably

had an initial preference for red and green ratner than blue

Again during autoshaping this would ~ply that on red-blue

displays the subject would learn to assoiate a response with red

Similarly on green-blue displays the response would be associated

with green Thus the response is conditioned to both red and

green so that when the combination is presented on a single display

the subject does not respond in a differential manner

In future experiments the likelihood that all elements

would be associated with the key peck response could be ensured

by presenting displays which contain only red circles or green

circles during pre-differential training

196

Individual Response Data for Preference Experiment

197

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired with a Standard Stimulus Which was Red With a Neutral Filter of a 13 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 B B D B B B

100 D B D B B D

110 D D D B D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

bull 90 B B B B B B

100 B D B D B B

110 D D D D D D

120 D D D D D D

130 D D D D D D

Subject c (Female)

Green Plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of 70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B D B

100 D D B D D B

110 D D B D D

120 D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presentedin a descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

198

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Green) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which was Blue With a Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Added J

Subject A (Male)

Comparison Stimulus Repetitions

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 Of bull 70 B B B B B

80 B B B B B B

90 D B D B B B

100 D D D D B B

110 D D D D D D

1 20 D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B

80 B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D D B B D B

110 D D D D D B

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

Subject C (Female)

Green plus Neutral Filter with Density 1 2 3 4 5 6 of bull70 B B B B B

80 D B B B B B

90 D B B B B B

100 D B D D B D

110 D D D D D

120 D D D D D

130 D D D D

The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented ina descending order while 24 and 6 were in ascending order

1

199

Preference Experiment Human Judgements of the Brightness of the Comparison Stimulus (Red) When Paired With a Standard Stimulus Which Was Blue with A Neutral Filter of a 10 Density Addedl

Subject A (Male)

ComEarison Stimulus Re2etitions

Red plus Neutral Filter With Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 B B B B B B

30 B D D B D B

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D

Subject B (Male)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B B B D B

30 B D B D B D

40 D D D D D D

50 D D D D D D

60 D D D D nmiddot D

Subject c (Female)

Red plus Neutral Filter with Density of 1 2 3 4 5 6

00 B B B B B

10 B B B B B B

20 D B D B B B

30 D B D B D D

AO D D D D D D

50 D D D D

60 D D D

1 The letters D and B stand for judgements of dimmer and brighter Repetitions 1 3 and 5 were presented in a descending order while 2 4 and 6 were in ascending order

200

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Hade to Each Pair of

Stimuli During Each Session of Pre-Differential Training

Session 1 Subject Blue - Green Red - Blue Red - Green

1 3 92 94 3 48 50 2 60 89 88 64 75 81

3 3 85 63 23 56 28 4 0 80 78 0 39 42

5 3 95 84 10 43 52 6 5 75 75 5 34 47

Session 2 Subject

1 4 91 98 2 53 46 2 60 82 61 76 71 68

3 25 38 31 25 3 33

4 2 77 76 1 41 38 5 0 97 94 0 68 27 6 1 79 77 3 57 26

Session 2 Subject

1 3 94 97 3 65 52 2 48 71 83 84 77 76 3 29 59 54 41 35 60 4 12 75 77 0 35 42

5 1 95 93 2 44 52 6 1 81 81 1 57 29

Session 4 Subject

1 9 89 97 4 55 45 2 66 80 86 48 53 78 3 26 61 55 35 48 40

4 0 80 8o 1 18 53 5 0 89 95 0 28 63 6 1 85 83 3 23 29

201

- 2shy

Session 2 Subject Blue - Greel Red - Blue ~ Green

1 2 94 99 4 48 53 2 29 88 75 55 68 68

3 43 42 50 36 65 27 4 0 80 80 0 20 61

5 0 89 98 2 42 48

6 0 88 87 0 46 42

Session 6 Subjec~

1 8 82 98 3 39 51 2 44 91 90 45 73 60

3 48 39 30 54 57 29 4 0 80 76 0 10 62

5 0 92 97 ~0 60 34 6 1 85 83 0 39 43

202

Preference Experiment Total Number of Responses Made to Each Stimulus

During Differential Training

Red Circles Positive

Session

Subject g1 2 1 - S+ 136 145 144

- S- 14o 73 26

4 - S+ 1~4 128 145

- S- 144 50 13

5 - S+ 144 144 144

- S- 122 18 7

Green Circles Positive

Session

Subject 2 - 2 2 - S+ 195 224 195

- s- 197 144 14

3 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 134 8 1

6 - S+ 144 144 144

- s- 144 39 3

203

Appendix E

204

Positions Preferences

In both Experiments II and III feature negative subjects

exhibited very strong preferences for pecking at one section of

the display rather than another

It may be remembered that in Experiment II feature

negative subjects were presented with a display containing three

common features and a blank cell on positive trials This

display was not responded to in a haphazard fashion Rather

subjects tended to peck one location rather than another and

although the preferred location varied from subject to subject

this preference was evident from the first session of preshy

differential training The proportion of responses made to

each segment of the display on the first session of pre-differential

training and on the first and last sessions of differential training

are shown in Table 7

It is clear from Table 7 that although the position

preference may change from session to session the tendency to

respond to one sector rather than another was evident at any point

in training Only one of the eight subjects maintained the original

position preference exhibited during the first session of preshy

differential training while the remaining subjects shifted their

preference to another sector at some point in training

It may also be noted from Table 7 that these preferences

205

Table 7

Proportion of Responses Hade to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) Sectors on 9_shy

only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential middotTraining (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-12)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Circle as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 05 37 10 54 51 D-1 -37 26 25 13

D-12 -57 04 35 05

Pre I 10 18 34 39 53 D-1 10 -39 14 -37

D-12 01 47 01 52

Pre I 39 19 31 10 63 D-1 -33 15 38 15

D-12 09 66 05 21

Pre I 03 17 19 60 64 D-1 02 32 18 48

D-12 12 17 20 52

Star as Distinctive Feature

Pre I 11 24 16 49 55 D-1 17 44 17 21

D-12 14 48 12 26

Pre I 10 23 27 40 58 D-1 20 27 28 26

D-12 31 10 40 19

Pre I 21 17 -35 27 67 D-1 26 68 03 03

D-12 50 48 01 01

Pre I 32 20 24 26 lt73 D-1 13 41 05 41

D-12 04 59 03 34

206

are not absolute in the sense that all responding occurs in

one sector This failure may be explained at least partially

by the fact that a blank sector appeared on the display It

may be remembered that subjectsrarely responded to this blank

sector Consequently when the blank appeared in the preferred

sector the subject was forced to respond elsewhere This

would have the effect of reducing the concentration of responding

in any one sector

The pattern of responding for the distributed feature

negative subjects in Experiment III was similar to that found in

Experiment II The proportion of responses made to each sector

of the positive display on the first session of pre-differential

training as well as on the first and last session of differential

training are presented in Table 8

It is clear from these results that the tendency to respond

to one sector rather than another was stronger in this experiment

than in Experiment II This is probably due to the fact that

each sector of the display contained a common element As no

blank sector appeared on the display subjects could respond to

any one of the four possible sectors

In this experiment four of the eight subjects maintained

their initial position preference throughout training while the

remaining four subjects shifted their preference to a new sector

It is clear then that feature negative subjects do not

respond to the s-only display in a haphazard manner but rather

207

Table 8

Proportion of Responses Made to Upper Left (UL) Upper Right (UR) Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) sectors on pound-only Trials by Subjects Trained with the Distinctive Feature on Negative Trials During the First Session of Pre-Differential Training (Pre I) and the First and Last Session of Differential

Training (D-1 and D-16)

Display Sector

UL UR LL LR

Subjects Red Feature Negative

Pre I 08 10 15 68 18 D-1 04 48 06 42

D-16 18 -75 02 05

Pre I 24 03 65 o8 23 D-1 26 04 64 o6

D-16 04 01 92 04

Pre I 10 48 14 28 27 D-1 08 -33 20 40

D-16 16 62 05 16

Pre I 13 16 17 54 43 D-1 29 18 14 40

D-16 36 17 07 -39

Green Feature Negative

Pre I 04 36 02 59 22 D-1 19 17 22 42

D-16 18 67 03 12

Pre I 03 17 05 75 37 D-1 02 12 02 84

D-16 oo 91 01 08

Pre I 25 64 oo 11 40 D-1 02 74 oo 23

D-16 13 87 oo oo

Pre I 15 10 43 32 81 D-1 48 11 -37 04

D-16 51 07 40 03

208

subjects tend to peck at onelocation rather than another

In Experiment III none of the eight feature negative

subjects trained with distributed displays showed as large a

reduction in response rate to the negative display as did the

feature positive subjects However some feature negative

subjects did show some slight reductions in thenumber of

responses made to the negative display bull The successive

discrimination index did not however rise above 60 If

the position preference on positive trials is tabulated along

with the proportion of responses made to negative stimuli when

the distinctive feature is in each of the four possible locations

it is found that the probability of response is generally lower

when the distinctive feature is in the preferred location Table

9 shows this relationship on session 16 for all feature negative

subjects

Birds 27 37 and 40 showed the least amount of responding

on negative trials when the distinctive feature was in the

preferred locus of responding However Bird 22 did not exhibit

this relationship The remaining four subjects maintained a near

asymtotic level of responding on all types of display

It would appear then that at least for these subjects

if the distinctive feature prevents the bird from responding to

his preferred sector of the display there is a higher probability

that no response will occur than there is when the distinctive

feature occupies a less preferred position

Table 9

Comparison of Position Preference and the Proportion of Responses Made to Each Type of cd Trial on Session Sixteen for Each Subject Trained with the Feature

- - on Negative Trials (Distributed Group)

Proportion of pound Responses Proportion of Total cd Responses Proportion of Total Made to Each Section of the Display on pound-only Trials

Made to Each of the Fo~r Types of poundi Trials

Responses Made pound-Only Trials

to

Sector of Display Position of d

Subjects UL UR LL LR UL UR LL LR

Red Feature

Negative Group

22

tJ37

40

81

18

oo

13

51

67

91

87

07

03

01

oo

40

12

o8

oo

03

29

33

32

24

25

10

o4

26

18

21

32

24

28

35

32

26

52

58

56

49

Green Feature

Negative Group

18

23

27

43

18

04

16

36

75

01

62

17

02

92

05

07

05

04

16

39

27

24

24

25

27

23

15

25

22

29

32

25

24

24

29

25

51

50

52

50

bullNote the abbreviations UL UR LL and LR refer to Upper Left Upper Right Lower Left fJ

and Lower Right respectively

0

  • Structure Bookmarks
    • LR 28 32 24 lt-1 45 4o 4+ 44 +2 43 43 41 45 44 42 39 40 43 44
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