Two kinds of attention in Pavlovian conditioning: evidence for a hybrid model of learning.

Mark Haselgrove*, Guillem R. Esber, John M. Pearce, Peter M. Jones

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Four appetitive Pavlovian conditioning experiments with rats examined the rate at which the discrimination between compounds AY and AX was solved relative to the discrimination between compounds AY and BY. In Experiments 1 and 2, these discriminations were preceded by training in which A and B were continuously reinforced and X and Y were partially reinforced. Consistent with the Pearce and Hall (1980) model, the results showed that the AY/AX discrimination was solved more readily than the AY/BY discrimination. In Experiments 3 and 4, the discriminations were preceded by feature-positive training in which trials with AX and BY signaled food but trials with X and Y did not. Consistent with the Mackintosh (1975) model, the results showed that the AY/BY discrimination was solved more readily than the AY/AX discrimination. These results are discussed with respect to a hybrid model of conditioning and attention.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)456-470
Number of pages0
JournalJ Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process
Volume36
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2010

Keywords

  • B Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • BF Psychology

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