Preexposure along a continuum: Differentiation and association.

George, David N.; Haddon, Josephine E.

Abstract

In five experiments, we assessed the effects of pre-exposure to simple auditory stimuli on subsequent conditioning and discrimination learning. Experiment 1 showed that pre-exposure to a single stimulus retarded acquisition of conditioned responding to that stimulus. The same pre-exposure regimen facilitated the subsequent acquisition of a discrimination between two stimuli that flanked the pre-exposed stimulus along the frequency dimension. Experiment 2 replicated this midpoint pre-exposure effect on discrimination learning but also found that alternating pre-exposure to the discriminative stimuli retarded discrimination learning. Experiments 3 to 5 explored the causes of these effects. These experiments are the first to examine perceptual learning in animals using simple auditory stimuli and their results suggest that in at least some circumstances alternating pre-exposure to auditory stimuli results in an increase in generalization between them.

Citation

George, D. N., & Haddon, J. E. (2021). Preexposure along a continuum: Differentiation and association. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 47(1), 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000266

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 4, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Deposit Date: Dec 1, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 19, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition
• Print ISSN: 2329-8464
• Electronic ISSN: 2329-8456
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 48-62
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000266
• Keywords: Perceptual learning; Discrimination; Generalization; Latent inhibition; Auditory
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3669705
• Publisher URL: https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxan0000266