Orienting behavior and the S-R spatial discontiguity effect in monkeys.

Abstract

Discriminative performance of 7 experimentally naive and 5 test-sophisticated rhesus monkeys was studied under 4 conditions of spatial discontiguity among the sites of the discriminative stimulus (S), instrumental response (R), and reward (Rd). The severe detrimental effect of S-R spatial discontiguity was confirmed in both groups, as was the lack of effect of Rd discontiguity. Double responses (touching, or nearly touching, S before executing the required remote instrumental R) spontaneously developed to a high degree in all animals, and when double responses were performed, S-R spatial discontiguity effects were completely eliminated in both groups.