Learning Processes in Matching-to-Sample by Pigeons

本方案实验的重点是鸽子学习匹配样本(MTS)的过程以及导致鸽子学习匹配样本(MTS)的不同方式的条件。一种新开发的技术将用于测量MTS任务中的IF-THEN规则学习。另一项新开发的技术将用于测量在获得MTS任务期间的关系概念学习。当证据表明整个MTS显示是作为配置模式学习时，建议进行测试来操纵和确认配置学习的存在。其他证据表明，在某些条件下，MTS任务可能是通过这些不同类型的学习的组合来学习的。将研究MTS中这些不同学习过程之间的增强和抑制相互作用。通过增加要学习的显示器的数量以及通过使显示器不太可能被鸽子配置为单一图案，将使配置学习变得更加困难。这些形成性学习的操作。其他操作将测试关系概念学习的持久性，并探索替代它的学习类型。这项研究将扩展我们的知识，了解任务是如何学习的，问题是如何解决的，以及导致更高阶概念学习或刺激特定学习的条件。

The focus of the experiments of this proposal are the processes by which pigeons learn matching to sample (MTS) and the conditions that lead to different ways that pigeons learn MTS. A newly developed technique will be used to measure if-then rule learning in the MTS task. Another newly developed technique will be used to measure relational-concept learning during acquisition of the MTS task. Tests are proposed to manipulate and confirm the presence of configural learning when evidence indicates that the whole MTS display is learned as a configural pattern. Other evidence suggests that in certain conditions the MTS task may be learned by combinations of these different types of learning. Enhancing and inhibitory interactions between these different learning processes in MTS will be studied. Configural learning will be made more difficult by increasing the number of displays to be learned and by making the display less likely to be configured as a unitary pattern by the pigeons. These manipulations of configural learning. Other manipulations will test the durability of relational-concept learning and explore the type of learning that replaces it. This research will extend our knowledge of how tasks are learned, problems solved, and conditions that lead to either higher-order concept learning or stimulus-specific learning.