Transitive and anti-transitive emergent relations in pigeons: Support for a theory of stimulus-class formation

Abstract

Stimulus class formation is inferred when conditional discrimination training yields new (emergent) conditional relations between the training stimuli. The present experiments demonstrated two such relations in pigeons after successive matching-to-sample training. Experiment 1 showed that transitivity (AC matching) emerged after training on AB and BC arbitrary matching plus BB identity matching: Pigeons responded relatively more to the comparisons on AC test trials in which both the A samples and C comparisons were elements of reinforced arbitrary baseline relations involving the same nominal B stimulus. Experiment 2 showed the opposite effect (“anti-transitivity”) after training on the same arbitrary relations but with BB oddity instead: Pigeons responded relatively more to the comparisons on AC test trials in which the A sample was an element of a reinforced baseline relation and the C comparison was an element of a non-reinforced baseline relation, or vice versa. Experiment 2 also showed that AB and BC training alone generally does not yield an emergent effect. These findings extend the range of emergent phenomena observed in non-human animals and are consistent with predictions from Urcuioli's (2008) theory of pigeons’ stimulus class formation.

Reflexivity without identity matching training: A first demonstration

“…In this experiment, we trained pigeons on a slightly different set of baseline relations vis-àvis those in Experiment 1 to test the theoretical prediction of "anti-reflexivity" (or emergent oddity): higher rates of responding in testing to nonmatching comparison stimuli than to matching comparison stimuli. If obtained, the results would complement previous findings and theoretical confirmations of antisymmetry (Urcuioli, 2008, Experiment 4) and antitransitivity (Urcuioli & Swisher, 2015).…”

“…Our decision to train the controls on just two conditional discriminations (AB and BC) was based on the fact that the absence of AC matching task (which theoretically permits class merger in Groups R and O) should preclude reflexivity or antireflexivity (cf. Urcuioli & Swisher, , Experiment 2). Nonetheless, future research should equate the number of baseline relations across groups (3) to determine if the presence versus absence of reflexivity (or antireflexivity) is indeed a function of the nature of the third conditional discrimination (e.g., AC vs. CA).…”

Emergent identity but not symmetry following successive olfactory discrimination training in rats

“…Since the Urcuioli () study, Urcuioli and his colleagues have replicated both the symmetry and antisymmetry effects as well as demonstrated several additional emergent effects such as reflexivity and transitivity based on predictions of his hypothesis (Sweeney & Urcuioli, ; Swisher & Urcuioli, ; Urcuioli, ; Urcuioli & Swisher, ; ; Urcuioli & Swisher, ). In one recent study, Campos, Urcuioli and Swisher (2014) trained pigeons in a dual oddity task designed to produce class merger of the stimuli involved in arbitrary training in both sample and comparison positions.…”

Symmetry in the pigeon with sample and comparison stimuli in different locations. II

“…For Group DL, the average numbers of sessions to criterion were 8.8 for arbitrary matching, 15.3 for hue identity matching, and 10.5 for form identity matching. The numerical difference was statistically significant, F(2, 6) ¼ 13.92, most likely because the arbitrary and form identity tasks were familiar from the pigeons' previous experiences (Urcuioli & Swisher, 2015) whereas the hue identity task was new. For Group CL, the corresponding averages were 12.0, 14.5, and 13.8, respectively, which were not statistically different from one another, F(2, 6) ¼.26.…”

“…Recent studies using successive (go/no-go) matching-to-sample (MTS) have shown reliable evidence for associative symmetry and other emergent relations of equivalence in pigeons (e.g., Campos, Urcuioli & Swisher, 2014;Frank & Wasserman, 2005;Sweeney & Urcuioli, 2010;Urcuioli, 2008;Urcuioli & Swisher, 2015). The positive symmetry results, in particular, stand in stark contrast to the mostly negative findings previously obtained in studies using two-alternative MTS (e.g., Dugdale & Lowe, 2000;Hogan & Zentall, 1977;Lionello-DeNolf & Urcuioli, 2002;Sidman, Rauzin, Lazar, Cunningham, Tailby & Carrigan, 1982; see also Lionello-DeNolf, 2009 andUrcuioli, 2015).…”