Behavioral Genetics and Animal Learning

Wahłsten, Douglas

doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-2394-5_2

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…As yet, there is no substantial evidence from the avoidance literature that there are genetic differences in associative learning ability (cf. Wahlsten, 1978). It is interesting to compare this conclusion with that of Bolles (1975), working with a different literature.…”

mentioning

confidence: 56%

“…In subsequent analyses, both the rat's weight and the number of intertrial crossings it made during the test session were included as covariates. A third factor that may influence the acquisition of avoidance responding is the rat's sensitivity to the shock employed as the ues (Satinder, 1976;Wahlsten, 1978). To determine whether there were strain differences in the response to shock, an analysis of covariance was carried out on the latency to escape from the shock on the first trial.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This reversal of performance between strains when exposed to active and passive avoidance has been reported on a number of occasions for inbred lines of mice (cf. Wahlsten, 1978).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avoidance, classical, and pseudoconditioning as a function of species-specific defense reactions in high- and low-avoider rat strains

Bond

1984

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Rats of the Australian High Avoider (AHA) and Australian Low Avoider (ALA) strains and their reciprocal crosses were exposed to 50 trials of one of three shuttlebox procedures. The avoidance group received pairings of a tone and shock. If the animals shuttled during the tone, they avoided the shock. If they waited until the shock came on, they could then escape it. The classical group received pairings of the tone and a brief inescapable shock. If they shuttled during the tone, the tone ceased and they immediately received the shock. If they did not shuttle, they received the brief shock at the termination of the tone. The pseudoconditioning group received the tone and the shock explicitly unpaired. If they shuttled during either the tone or the shock, the stimulus was terminated. There was no acquisition of anticipatory responding under the pseudoconditioning procedure. All groups evidenced an increase in anticipatory responding over trials under the classical procedure. The ARAs acquired the response faster and reached a higher asymptote than did the ALAs. Performance of the two reciprocal crosses fell in between. A similar pattern was observed under the avoidance procedure, albeit at slightly higher response levels. Subsequent studies established that the AHAs acquired a one-way avoidance response quickly, but were impaired on a passive avoidance task, whereas the reverse was the case for the ALAs. The reciprocal crosses were proficient at both tasks. These results suggest that shuttlebox avoidance is largely accounted for by classical conditioning of the predominant defensive response. When that response is compatible with performance on the task, acquisition is rapid (ARAs), and when it is not, acquisition is slow (ALAs).

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confidence: 56%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avoidance, classical, and pseudoconditioning as a function of species-specific defense reactions in high- and low-avoider rat strains

Bond

1984

Animal Learning & Behavior

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“…Searle found evidence for differences between the strains in motivation and activity, but he concluded: "No evidence was found that a difference exists between the Brights and the Dulls in the learning capacity perse" (Searle 1949, p. 323). In a review of a large number of studies involving selective breeding and strain comparisons, Wahlsten (1978) came to a similar conclusion with regard to the search for evidence of genetically controlled variation in general intelligence. Wahlsten's analysis of the literature provided him with no "reasons to expect that experimental results obtained with one piece of apparatus will generalize to another task, especially if it entails different motivation, response, or sensory modality" (Wahlsten 1978, p. 89).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Editorial Commentary

1987

Behav Brain Sci

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Abstract:Recent decades have seen a number of influential attacks on the comparative psychology of learning and intelligence. Two specific charges have been that the use of distantly related species has prevented us from making valid evolutionary inferences and that learning mechanisms are species-specific adaptations to ecological niches and hence not properly comparable between species. It is argued here that work using distantly related species may yield valuable insights into the structure of intelligence and that the question of whether or not learning mechanisms are niche-specific is one which can only be answered by comparative work in "nonnatural" situations. The problems involved in defining and assessing intelligence are discussed. Experimental work has not succeeded in demonstrating differences in intellect among nonhuman vertebrates. Hence the null hypothesis -that there are no differences in intellect among nonhuman vertebrates -should be adopted; the superiority of human intelligence stems from our possessing a species-specific language-acquisition device. One implication of the null hypothesis is that general problem-solving capacity is independent of niche-specific adaptations. A second implication is that problem-solving may involve relatively simple mechanisms; association formation in particular may play a central role in nonhuman intelligence, allowing the successful detection of causal links between events. Causality is a constraint common to all ecological niches.

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“…TMB thus should be understood to mean "Tryon-maze bright," not "Tryon maze-bright." The Tryon selected lines differed substantially on the 17-unit maze which was used for the original selective breeding, but the line difference was greatly reduced or even reversed on other learning tasks (Wahlsten, 1972(Wahlsten, , 1978. …”

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confidence: 99%

Reply: A note on the Roman and Tryon selected lines of rats

Wahłsten

1979

Behav Genet

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We are pleased to learn that the Roman lines are readily available from Professor Broadhurst, and we appreciate his timely warning that the Maudsley lines are now extremely difficult to procure. We wish him success in restoring the vitality and availability of the Maudsley lines.As for the suggestion concerning the nomenclature of the Tryon lines, we are in agreement with the TMB and TMD designations, with the following stipulation. Some authors treat these lines as if they differed in "intelligence," but numerous experiments have shown that their differences are highly task specific and provide no evidence of general learning ability. TMB thus should be understood to mean "Tryon-maze bright," not "Tryon maze-bright." The Tryon selected lines differed substantially on the 17-unit maze which was used for the original selective breeding, but the line difference was greatly reduced or even reversed on other learning tasks (Wahlsten, 1972(Wahlsten, , 1978.

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Behavioral Genetics and Animal Learning

Cited by 25 publications

References 88 publications

Avoidance, classical, and pseudoconditioning as a function of species-specific defense reactions in high- and low-avoider rat strains

Avoidance, classical, and pseudoconditioning as a function of species-specific defense reactions in high- and low-avoider rat strains

Editorial Commentary

Reply: A note on the Roman and Tryon selected lines of rats

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