Numerical aspects of nonreinforcement: The same-phase nonreinforcement procedure

Capaldi, E. J.; Miller, Daniel J.; Alptekin, Suzan

doi:10.3758/bf03209380

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…If the length of the pattern were only 12 items long results may have been very different. Another explanation for how animals use serial position as a cue is that they use some sort of counting mechanism (Capaldi & Miller, 1988). Our data would suggest that animals are unable to count up to12, though our understanding of rats’ timing and counting capabilities in this situation is limited.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although serial position models may have much in common with Capaldi’s item memory view, the critical difference is that sensitivity to serial position seems to imply the additional cognitive ability to count or time serial events. Evidence for counting- or timing-like processes in rat sequential learning has since been obtained (Capaldi, 1993; Capaldi & Miller, 1988a; 1988b; 1988c; 1988d; Capaldi, Miller, & Alptekin, 1988). …”

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confidence: 99%

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Concurrent cognitive processes in rat serial pattern learning: Item memory, serial position, and pattern structure

Muller

Fountain

2010

Learning and Motivation

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Three experiments examined the processes mediating rat serial pattern learning for rule-consistent versus rule-violating pattern elements ("violation elements"). In all three experiments, rats were trained to press retractable levers in a circular array in a specific sequence for brain stimulation reward (BSR). Experiment 1 examined the role of lever location (L) and element serial position (SP) cues in rats' ability to learn to anticipate a violation element positioned at the end of a 24-element serial pattern. Rats with L cues either alone or in combination with SP cues learned to anticipate the violation element, whereas those with SP cues alone did not. Rats in groups L and L +SP underwent a series of transfers designed to remove various cues that might have controlled their performance on the violation element. Results indicated that intra-chamber lever location cues mediated performance on the violation element whereas performance on rule-consistent elements within pattern chunks was mediated by an internal mnemonic representation that was insensitive to changes in lever location cues. Experiment 2 examined whether rats could learn to use SP cues alone to anticipate a violation element if it was positioned earlier in a serial pattern. Rats learned to anticipate the violation element based on SP cues alone when it was located in SP6 in a 24-element pattern, but not when it was in SP12. Experiment 3 examined whether or not rats spontaneously encode information about chunk length and the serial position of phrasing cues in serial patterns. Rats were trained to a high criterion on the serial pattern used in Experiment 1, then were challenged with three probe patterns that manipulated both chunk length and overall pattern length. Results indicated that rats spontaneously encoded information regarding the serial position of phrasing cues in relation to chunk length. Thus, rats appear to use at least three cognitive processes concurrently in serial pattern learning tasks, namely, item memory involving external discriminative cues, counting-or timing-like processes for encoding serial position, and rule abstraction for encoding an internal representation of pattern structure. In the 1970s, Stewart H. Hulse and his students conducted research on rats' ability to learn to anticipate a series of different food quantities presented in a runway (Hulse, 1973;Hulse & Campbell, 1975;Hulse & Dorsky, 1977;. This seemingly simple paradigm belied a sophisticated approach to answering a central question in animal learning theory. The question Hulse posed was whether or not nonhuman animals such as rats could learn about the structure of a sequence, that is, the abstract organizational properties of the sequence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Concurrent cognitive processes in rat serial pattern learning: Item memory, serial position, and pattern structure

Muller

Fountain

2010

Learning and Motivation

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“…In sum, the ingenious methods of the experiments reported in Capaldi and Miller's (1988a) article, and other articles that followed (Capaldi & Miller 1988a, 1988b, 1988cCapaldi et al, 1988;Capaldi, Miller, & Alptekin, 1989), provide evidence for the presence of complex cognitive processes in the rat necessary for counting. The research demonstrates that rats can count using numerical tags in accordance with Gelman and Gallistel's (1978) one-to-one, stable-order, order irrelevance, and abstraction principles.…”

Section: Numerical Ability Of Animalsmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…Furthermore, John understood that the abstract nature of counting necessitated a change in procedure from counting nonrewarded events (however, see Capaldi, Miller, & Alptekin, 1988) to counting rewarded events. Rewarded events can be more easily varied (e.g., standard lab pellets and differently flavored breakfast cereals) and allowed shifts in reinforcers from one phase of training to another, important for assessing the possible abstract nature of the rat's number tags (when used).…”

Section: Numerical Ability Of Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tribute to E. J. Capaldi: Celebration of a Psychological Scientist

Proctor

Altman

Haggbloom

et al. 2022

The American Journal of Psychology

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E. J. (John) Capaldi (1928–2020) made numerous contributions to experimental psychology in his long career at the University of Texas at Austin and Purdue University. He was a pioneer in the area of animal learning and cognition, known for his sequential theory of partial reinforcement extinction effects. His research in this area and in memory and counting phenomena was conducted for the most part with rats running in straight alley mazes under various sequences of trial outcomes (e.g., reward, nonreward, variations in reward size). John's other interests included the sequential theory applied to Pavlovian conditioning, evolutionary theory, and psychology of science. More generally, John was a scientist to the core who served as a role model to those who knew him. His career centered on the values of science and rigorous critical thinking based in empirical data, coupled with a curiosity and openness to different and new ideas in psychology.

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The Discriminative Stimulus and Response Enhancing Properties of Reward Produced Memories

Capaldi

2002

Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior

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Numerical aspects of nonreinforcement: The same-phase nonreinforcement procedure

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Concurrent cognitive processes in rat serial pattern learning: Item memory, serial position, and pattern structure

Concurrent cognitive processes in rat serial pattern learning: Item memory, serial position, and pattern structure

Tribute to E. J. Capaldi: Celebration of a Psychological Scientist

The Discriminative Stimulus and Response Enhancing Properties of Reward Produced Memories

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