The discrimination of structure: III. Representation of spatial relationships.

Haselgrove, Mark; George, David N.; Pearce, John M.

Abstract

Pigeons received a discrimination in which the spatial relationship between 2 adjacent rectangles filled with different colors signaled the trial outcome. Test trials then involved the same rectangles separated horizontally by a gap. The tests in Experiment 1 disrupted the discrimination more when the rectangles were tall and thin than when they were short and wide. Experiment 2 revealed that the width of the rectangles rather than their height determined the extent to which separating them would disrupt the original discrimination. The results are explained in terms of a template-matching account of pattern recognition with the additional assumption, supported by Experiment 3, that the size of a template can be altered to improve its match with a test pattern.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2005-10
• Journal: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PROCESSES
• Print ISSN: 0097-7403
• Electronic ISSN: 0097-7403
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 433-448
• Institution Citation: Haselgrove, M., George, D. N., & Pearce, J. M. (2005). The discrimination of structure: III. Representation of spatial relationships. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 31(4), 433-448. https://doi.org/10.1037/0097-7403.31.4.433
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0097-7403.31.4.433
• Keywords: Discrimination; Structure; Template; Complex visual-stimuli; Object recognition; Pigeons; Movement patterns; Humans
• Publisher URL: http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0097-7403.31.4.433