Reinforcement-Based Models of Delayed Matching-to-Sample Performance

基于强化的延迟匹配样本性能模型

• 批准号: 9122395
• 负责人: John Wixted
• 金额: $ 19.65万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1992
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1992-04-15 至 1996-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9122395&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Reinforcement; Based; Models; Delayed; Matching

Dr. Wixted's research is designed to enhance our understanding of the principles that govern animal memory. If successful, the results may help to solve the far more complex puzzle of how memory operates, and sometimes goes awry, in humans. The basic procedure used throughout these experiments involves presenting a series of trials, during each of which a color (e.g., red) is shown to a pigeon in a center window for a few seconds, the color is removed for a period of time, and then the pigeon is given a choice between two colors (red vs. green) in two side windows. A response to the matching color (in this case, red) is rewarded with food while a response to the nonmatching color simply ends the trial. Dr. Wixted will carry out three sets of experiments that address different, but related, issues. The first set is concerned with the question of how short-term and long-term memory compete to determine the pigeon's choice on a given trial. More specifically, the choice between red and green may involve a competition between short-term memory for the previous color (red) and long-term memory for the choice color that generally provides the greater number of rewards. The second set of experiments is concerned with identifying the psychological variables that cause a stimulus to become more (or less) memorable. The principle under investigation holds that a stimulus associated with a short delay to a biologically significant event (e.g., food) is more memorable than one associated with a long delay. Finally, the third set of experiments investigates the variables that influence memory for nonoccurrence. That is, under what conditions will an animal remember that no stimulus appeared in the center window on a particular trial? Together, the results of these experiments will help to identify the principles that underlie animal and, ultimately perhaps, human memory.

Wixted博士的研究旨在增强我们对支配动物记忆的原理的理解。如果成功，研究结果可能有助于解决人类记忆如何运作和有时出错的更为复杂的难题。在这些实验中使用的基本程序包括进行一系列的试验，在每一次试验中，在中间窗口向鸽子展示一种颜色（例如，红色）几秒钟，然后将这种颜色移除一段时间，然后让鸽子在两个侧面窗口的两种颜色（红色或绿色）之间做出选择。对匹配颜色（在本例中为红色）的反应会得到食物奖励，而对不匹配颜色的反应则会直接结束试验。Wixted博士将进行三组不同但相关的实验。第一组是关于短期记忆和长期记忆如何相互竞争来决定鸽子在给定试验中的选择。更具体地说，在红色和绿色之间的选择可能涉及对之前颜色（红色）的短期记忆和对通常提供更多奖励的选择颜色的长期记忆之间的竞争。第二组实验涉及识别导致刺激变得更（或更少）难忘的心理变量。正在研究的原理认为，与生物上重要事件（如食物）的短暂延迟相关的刺激比与长时间延迟相关的刺激更令人难忘。最后，第三组实验研究影响非发生记忆的变量。也就是说，在什么条件下，动物会记住在一个特定的试验中，没有刺激出现在中央窗口？总之，这些实验的结果将有助于确定动物记忆的原理，最终可能是人类记忆的原理。