Generalization hypothesis of abstract-concept learning: Learning strategies and related issues in Macaca mulatta, Cebus apella, and Columba livia.

Wright, Anthony A.; Katz, Jeffrey S.

doi:10.1037/0735-7036.121.4.387

Cited by 55 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…The domain is unlikely to expand in small steps along stimulus dimensions in the manner of stimulus generalization, however. Novel-stimulus transfer and the restricted-domain relational learning on which it is based appear to expand and encompass more diverse stimuli than would be realizable by any simple generalization process (Wright & Katz, 2007). Indeed, we believe that this is the defining characteristic that makes abstractconcept learning or rule learning unique: The range of ac-…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A case for restricted-domain relational learning

Wright¹,

Katz

2009

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

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Monkeys and pigeons learned a same/different task with pairs that were selected from a training set of eight picture stimuli. They showed no novel-stimulus transfer and hence no abstract-concept learning. They were also tested with novel pairs of the eight training pictures (i.e., combinations that had not been used in training) and with inverted pictures of the training pairs. If the subjects had learned the task item-specifically (e.g., if-then or configural learning), they should have failed these tests, but they performed well with novel combinations of training pictures and inverted pictures, suggesting that they learned the task relationally (i.e., on the basis of the relationship between the two pictures that were presented in each trial). This somewhat paradoxical conclusion of relational learning in the absence of abstract-concept learning is contrary to most theories of abstract-concept learning. The implications of this conclusion are discussed in the context of restricted-domain relational learning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A case for restricted-domain relational learning

Wright¹,

Katz

2009

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

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“…Same/different relations are one type of abstract-concept relationship that has been well studied in other avian and non-avian species (e.g., Pepperberg, 1987;Cook et al, 1997;Wright and Katz, 2007). In same/different discriminations, subjects are presented with multiple items and must determine if the stimuli are all the same or different.…”

Section: Perception Of Abstract Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Categories, concepts, and calls: Auditory perceptual mechanisms and cognitive abilities across different types of birds

Hahn

Guillette

Hoeschele

et al. 2013

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

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Although involving different animals, preparations, and objectives, our laboratories (Sturdy's and Cook's) are mutually interested in category perception and concept formation. The Sturdy laboratory has a history of studying perceptual categories in songbirds, while Cook laboratory has a history of studying abstract concept formation in pigeons. Recently, we undertook a suite of collaborative projects to combine our investigations to examine abstract concept formation in songbirds, and perception of songbird vocalizations in pigeons. This talk will include our recent findings of songbird category perception, songbird abstract concept formation (same/different task), and early results from pigeons' processing of songbird vocalizations in a same/different task. Our findings indicate that (1) categorization in birds seems to be most heavily influenced by acoustic, rather than genetic or experiential factors (2) songbirds treat their vocalizations as perceptual categories, both at the level of the note and species/whole call, (3) chickadees, like pigeons, can perceive abstract, same-different relations, and (4) pigeons are not as good at discriminating chickadee vocalizations as songbirds (chickadees and finches). Our findings suggest that although there are commonalities in complex auditory processing among birds, there are potentially important comparative differences between songbirds and non-songbirds in their treatment of certain types of auditory objects.

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“…How widely they in fact generalize will also depend on what the representations-conceptual or nonconceptual-stand for. We know that some animals, such as rats and pigeons, are capable of some degree of generalization, given sufficient training (McLaren & Mackintosh 2002;Wright & Katz 2007), but it is currently unclear whether they use conceptual representations to do so.…”

Section: Conceptual Versus Nonconceptual Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual representations in goal-directed decision making

Shea

Krug

Tobler

2008

Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience

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d Emerging evidence suggests that the long-established distinction between habit-based and goal-directed decision-making mechanisms can also be sustained in humans. Although the habit-based system has been extensively studied in humans, the goal-directed system is less well characterized. This review brings to l that task the distinction between conceptual and nonconceptual representational mechanisms. Conceptual representations are structured out of semantic constituents (concepts)-the use of which requires an ability to perform some language-like syntactic processing. Decision making-as investigated by neuroscience and to perform some language-like syntactic processing. Decision making-as investigated by neuroscience and

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Generalization hypothesis of abstract-concept learning: Learning strategies and related issues in Macaca mulatta, Cebus apella, and Columba livia.

Cited by 55 publications

References 73 publications

A case for restricted-domain relational learning

A case for restricted-domain relational learning

Categories, concepts, and calls: Auditory perceptual mechanisms and cognitive abilities across different types of birds

Conceptual representations in goal-directed decision making

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