Memory Processing in Primates and Avians

描述(由申请人提供)：将在两个标准实验室物种--恒河猴(6只)和鸽子(18只)--中研究潜在的记忆机制，它们已经证明了它们准确执行清单记忆任务的能力，非常适合这项记忆研究。干扰已被证明是记忆的主要决定因素。干扰将在单项(相同/不同)记忆任务中被操纵，以确定来自先前试验的干扰如何降低记忆力，以及受试者如何制定记忆策略来有效地处理这种干扰。这些操作包括：刺激(图片)设置大小(用于干扰)、干扰轨迹、观察反应(用于注意)、记忆保持延迟(鸽子为0-20秒，猴子为0-30秒)和试验间隔。已经开发了新的测试来衡量干扰的影响，并探索受试者是否学会了更有效地处理这种干扰。这些结果将影响动物的熟悉性/自动与身份/受控记忆处理的问题。然后，受试者将在多项清单记忆任务(1-4项)中接受培训和测试。类似的操作将调查来自先前列表的干扰如何确定序列位置函数的形状。其他操作(项呈现时间、项之间的时间、列表项的数量)将调查列表项之间的干扰如何确定序列位置函数的形状。这些结果应该会揭示哪些方面的干扰处于战略主体的控制之下，哪些方面是固定的和自动的。这些发现应该与鸟类和灵长类动物等不同物种共享的一般视觉记忆过程有关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Underlying mechanisms of memory will be investigated in two standard laboratory species, rhesus monkeys (6) and pigeons (18), which have demonstrated their ability to accurately perform list-memory tasks and are well suited to this memory research. Interference has been demonstrated to be a (the) major determinant of memory. Interference will be manipulated in single-item (same/different) memory tasks to determine how interference from previous trials degrades memory and how subjects develop memory strategies to deal effectively with this interference. Among the manipulations will be: stimulus (pictures) set size (for interference), locus of interference, observing responses (for attention), memory retention delay (0-20s for pigeons, 0-30s for monkeys), and trial spacing. New tests have been developed to measure the effect of interference and explore whether subjects' learn to deal more effectively with this interference. These results will bear upon the issues of familiarity/automatic versus identity/controlled memory processing in animals. Subjects will then be trained and tested in multiple-item list memory tasks (1-4 items). Similar manipulations will investigate how interference from previous lists determines the shape of the serial position function. Other manipulations (item presentation time, time between items, number of list items) will investigate how interference among list items determines the shape of the serial position function. These results should reveal which aspects of interference are under strategic subject control and which aspects are fixed and automatic. Findings should bear upon general processes of visual memory that are shared among such diverse species as avians and primates.