Configural Associations in Discrimination Learning
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Copyright 1990 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. Animal Behavior Processes 0097-7403/90,r$00.75 1990. Vol. 16, No. 3, 250-261 Configural Associations in Discrimination Learning John M. Pearce and Paul N. Wilson University of Wales, College of Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales In 4 experiments, Sprague-Dawley rats and homing pigeons received training with an A+ AB0 BC+ discrimination, in which food (+) accompanied trials with A and EtC. Food was not presented (0) on trials with the compound AB. Subsequent test trials revealed that responding during C by itself, or the compound ABC, was slower than during either A or BC. Responding during the ABC compound was also found to be slower after training with the A+ AB0 BC+ than an A0 AB+ BC+ discrimination. We argue that these findings demonstrate the importance of configural associations in discrimination learning. Two accounts for the way in which these associations exert their influence are considered. A major concern relating to theories of conditioning has Saavedra, 1975; Whitlow & Wagner, 1972; Woodbury, 1943~ been to identify the associations that are formed when a For example, animals can solve a negative patterning problem compound conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with an un- in which the US follows two stimuli when they are presented conditioned stimulus (US). By far the most influential line of separately but not when they are presented together (Bel- theorizing has been to assume that this training provides the lingham et al., 1985; Rescorla, 1972; Woodbury, 1943). Ac- potential for each stimulus within the compound to enter cording to the Rescorla and Wagner (1972) model, without separately into an association with the US (Frey & Sears, the influence of confignral cues, this discrimination would be 1978; Mackintosh, 1975; Moore & Stickney, 1980; Pearce & insoluble, because it is impossible for a CS by itself to signal Hall, 1980; Rescorla & Wagner, 1972).
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