Some Effects of Response‐independent Reinforcement on Auditory Generalization Gradients

Huff, Ronald C.; Sherman, Jack E.; Cohn, Marion U.

doi:10.1901/jeab.1975.23-81

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…This observation is in agreement with prior reports of discriminative control in multiple VI-VT schedules (e.g., Bersh & Lambert, 1975;Boakes, 1973;Huff, Sherman, & Cohn, 1975;Lattal & Maxey, 1971;Weisman & Ramsden, 1973). It suggests that the development of a strong S-O association is not essential to the operation of a discriminative stimulus.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Evidence for the hierarchical structure of instrumental learning

Colwill

Rescorla

1990

Animal Learning & Behavior

124

127

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In three experiments using rats, we examined the role of a discriminative stimulus (8) in governing the relation between a response (R) and an outcome (0) in an appetitive instrumental learning paradigm. In each experiment, we attempted to distinguish between a simple 8-0 association and a hierarchical relation in which 8 is associated with the R-O association. We used three variations on discriminative training procedures and three different assessment techniques for revealing the hierarchical structure. In Experiment 1, we employed a training procedure in which 8 signaled a change in the R-O relation but no change in the likelihood of O. Although such an arrangement should not produce an excitatory 8-0 association, it nevertheless generated an 8 that controlled responding and transferred that control to other responses. In Experiment 2, we used a discrimination procedure in which two Ss each had the same two Rs and Os occur in their presence but each 8 signaled that a different R-O combination would be in effect. This design provided the opportunity for equivalent pairwise associations among 8, R, and 0 but unique hierarchical relations. The subjects learned the hierarchical structure, as revealed by the specific depressive effect of a subsequent lithium-chloride-induced devaluation of 0 on responding only in the presence of the 8 in which that response had led to that outcome. In Experiment 3, one 8 signaled two different R-O outcomes. Then, two new stimuli were presented with the original 8; the R-O relations were retained in the presence of one of the added stimuli but were rearranged in the presence of the other. The added 8 came to control less responding when it was redundant with respect to the R-O relations than when it was informative. Although all of the results were of modest size and each has an alternative interpretation, together they provide converging evidence for the hierarchical role of 8 in controlling an R-O association.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Evidence for the hierarchical structure of instrumental learning

Colwill

Rescorla

1990

Animal Learning & Behavior

124

127

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“…Experimental results from intensity generalisation tests (see Fig. 4b) conform indeed to the above predictions: they increase monotonically moving from the negative to the positive stimulus and show positive as well as negative shifts (Razran 1949, Thomas & Setzer 1972, Huff et al 1975, Zielinski & Jakubowska 1977. Some non-monotonicity is sometimes found, but we must keep in mind that we are considering the idealised case in which only s + and s − contribute to responding.…”

Section: Monotonic Gradients Along Intensity Dimensionssupporting

confidence: 77%

“…In the model as in experiments (Huff et al 1975, Zielinski & Jakubowska 1977, it does not matter which one of s + and s − is the most intense: the gradient appears reversed if stimuli are aligned according to intensity (Fig. 4, descending lines), but does not change in the geometrical representation, always growing from s − to s + (the direction of increasing x).…”

Section: Monotonic Gradients Along Intensity Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Changing this value (in all units simultaneously) amounts to moving on the line that joins the two stimuli in the receptor space R, and also corresponds to intensity generalisation tests. b) Data on noise intensity generalisation from (Huff et al 1975). Two groups of rats were trained to respond to one of two stimuli: S 1 =78 dB or S 2 =87 dB, while responding to the other one was not reinforced.…”

Section: Monotonic Gradients Along Intensity Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The geometry of stimulus control

Ghirlanda

Enquist

1999

Animal Behaviour

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Many studies, both in ethology and comparative psychology, have shown that animals react to modifications of familiar stimuli. This phenomenon is often referred to as generalisation. Most modifications lead to a decrease in responding, but to certain new stimuli an increase in responding is observed. This holds for both innate and learned behaviour. Here we propose a heuristic approach to stimulus control, or stimulus selection, with the aim of explaining these phenomena. The model has two key elements.First, we choose the receptor level as the fundamental stimulus space. Each stimulus is represented as the pattern of activation it induces in sense organs. Second, in this space we introduce a simple measure of 'similarity' between stimuli by calculating how activation patterns overlap. The main advantage we recognise in this approach is that the generalisation of acquired responses emerges from a few simple principles which are grounded in the recognition of how animals actually perceive stimuli. Many traditional problems that face theories of stimulus control (e.g. the Spence-Hull theory of gradient interaction or ethological theories of stimulus summation) do not arise in the present framework. These problems include the amount of generalisation along different dimensions, peak-shift phenomena (with respect to both positive and negative shifts), intensity generalisation, and generalisation after conditioning on two positive stimuli

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“…Los casos, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 y 9 han sido estudiados por muchos investigadores (Dysart, Marx, Mclean, & Nelson, 1974;Guttman, 1959;Huff, Sherman, & Cohn, 1975;Mariner & Thomas, 1973;Terrace, 1968;Wheatley & Thomas, 1974;Wilkle, 1972;Yorczower, Dickson & Gollub, 1966;Yarczower, Gollub & Dickson, 1968). Los casos 2, 4 y 8 hasta el momento parecen no haber sido estudiados.…”

Section: No 2 II Semestre 1978unclassified

Variación de la probabilidad de refuerzo en el segundo componente de un programa múltiple y sus efectos sobre el gradiente de generalización

Investigación¹

1978

RCE

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Se realizarán tres experimentos con el fin de estudiar los efectos de los cambios de la probabilidad de reforzamiento en el segundo componente de un múltiple y las tasas de respuestas así logradas sobre el gradiente de generalización. Los tres sujetos de cada experimento recibirán inicialmente entrenamiento no diferencial en un programa múltiple cuyos estímulos asociados son dos tonos de 1000 cps. (S 1 ) y 950 cps. (S 2 ). En el Experimento I no habrá variación en la probabilidad de refuerzo. Sin embargo, habrá cambios que permiten esperar un aumento en la tasa. En el Experimento II se incrementará la probabilidad de refuerzo en el segundo componente y la naturaleza del programa utilizado permite esperar también un aumento en la tasa de respuestas. En el Experimento III habrá una disminución en la mencionada probabilidad en el componente 2 y se espera un aumento en la tasa.Estas expectancias deben entenderse como una línea de base determinada a la cual pretendemos llegar antes de efectuar la prueba de generalización para cada uno de los grupos.Actualmente se utiliza el término "control del estímulo" para designar una función empírica continua cuyos extremos son la discriminación y la generalización. La utilización de este término evita una serie de confusiones generadas al intentar describir estos fenómenos separadamente. Un ejemplo de estas confusiones es el intento de formular la generalización como una ausencia de discriminación. Especifiquemos dos conceptos que son claves en la afirmación anterior y que por lo general su significado no es lo suficientemente preciso. Estos conceptos son "control del estímulo" y "función empírica continua". La siguiente cita puede definirnos correctamente "control del estímulo": "Si un cambio en algún aspecto de un estímulo que antecede a una respuesta resulta en un cambio en alguna medida de la respuesta, diremos que el estimulo ejerce un control sobre la respuesta" (Eckeaman, 1969). Desafortunadamente no disponemos de una definición similar para "función empírica continua". Este concepto trata de recordar las funciones continuas en matemáticas, sin embargo, no es claro en qué consiste la "continuidad empírica". Tal vez hablar de que no existen restricciones empíricas para graficar gradientes de generalización en un plano cartesiano aclare esta ide de "continuidad empírica".Dentro de esta gama "continua" de posibles gradientes de generalización existe una subclase de ellos que presentan una cierta "anomalía" que recibe el nombre de desplazamiento de pico. Más explícitamente, se presentan en ocasiones gradientes en los cuales el número mayor de respuestas no se da ante el estímulo discriminativo (desplazamiento de pico positivo) y el número menor de respuestas no se da ante el estímulo delta (desplazamiento de pico negativo). El desplazamiento de pico se da generalmente cuando el entrenamiento en discriminación se hace mediante ciertos programas múltiples. Hay una serie de trabajos que estudian sistemáticamente una de las variables que se manipulan en un programa múltiple: la ...

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Some Effects of Response‐independent Reinforcement on Auditory Generalization Gradients

Cited by 14 publications

References 16 publications

Evidence for the hierarchical structure of instrumental learning

Evidence for the hierarchical structure of instrumental learning

The geometry of stimulus control

Variación de la probabilidad de refuerzo en el segundo componente de un programa múltiple y sus efectos sobre el gradiente de generalización

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