Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.

Non-reinforced preexposure to two stimuli often enhances discrimination between them. Analyses of this perceptual learning phenomenon have mainly focused on the role played by the distinctive stimulus features; this study examined the contribution of the non-distinctive common elements. A standard a...

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Main Authors: Mondragón, E, Murphy, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2010
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author Mondragón, E
Murphy, R
author_facet Mondragón, E
Murphy, R
author_sort Mondragón, E
collection OXFORD
description Non-reinforced preexposure to two stimuli often enhances discrimination between them. Analyses of this perceptual learning phenomenon have mainly focused on the role played by the distinctive stimulus features; this study examined the contribution of the non-distinctive common elements. A standard appetitive Pavlovian procedure was used. Rats received two different schedules of exposure--alternated or blocked--to two compound auditory stimuli, AX and BX. In Experiment 1 a generalization test to BX that followed conditioning to AX showed that animals responded less, and hence discriminated better, following alternated exposure, thus extending the generality of this perceptual learning effect to standard appetitive Pavlovian procedures. The degree to which the common element X was mediating this effect was explored in the next three experiments. Experiment 2 assessed the effectiveness of X following conditioning to AX. Experiment 3 explored X's effectiveness throughout extensive conditioning to X. Experiment 4 tested the ability of X to overshadow a novel stimulus Y. The results were consistent with the suggestion that alternated preexposure can reduce the relative effectiveness of the common element.
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spelling oxford-uuid:8fc22a20-c01b-4e56-aa5f-e4cf774357842022-03-26T23:06:38ZPerceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8fc22a20-c01b-4e56-aa5f-e4cf77435784EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Mondragón, EMurphy, RNon-reinforced preexposure to two stimuli often enhances discrimination between them. Analyses of this perceptual learning phenomenon have mainly focused on the role played by the distinctive stimulus features; this study examined the contribution of the non-distinctive common elements. A standard appetitive Pavlovian procedure was used. Rats received two different schedules of exposure--alternated or blocked--to two compound auditory stimuli, AX and BX. In Experiment 1 a generalization test to BX that followed conditioning to AX showed that animals responded less, and hence discriminated better, following alternated exposure, thus extending the generality of this perceptual learning effect to standard appetitive Pavlovian procedures. The degree to which the common element X was mediating this effect was explored in the next three experiments. Experiment 2 assessed the effectiveness of X following conditioning to AX. Experiment 3 explored X's effectiveness throughout extensive conditioning to X. Experiment 4 tested the ability of X to overshadow a novel stimulus Y. The results were consistent with the suggestion that alternated preexposure can reduce the relative effectiveness of the common element.
spellingShingle Mondragón, E
Murphy, R
Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title_full Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title_fullStr Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title_full_unstemmed Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title_short Perceptual learning in an appetitive Pavlovian procedure: analysis of the effectiveness of the common element.
title_sort perceptual learning in an appetitive pavlovian procedure analysis of the effectiveness of the common element
work_keys_str_mv AT mondragone perceptuallearninginanappetitivepavlovianprocedureanalysisoftheeffectivenessofthecommonelement
AT murphyr perceptuallearninginanappetitivepavlovianprocedureanalysisoftheeffectivenessofthecommonelement