The development of noncontinuity behavior through continuity learning.

Abstract

It was hypothesized that as a rat learns to make a specific choice discrimination, he is also learning a response of discriminating, i.e., learning to respond to a set of stimuli of which the specific stimulus is a member. Evidence for this hypothesis would be the more rapid learning of a discrimination reversal by animals that had received an excessive amount of overlearning in a previous discrimination problem. In the present expt. 3 groups of 15 rats were trained to make a simple black-white discrimination in a Y-alley discrimination apparatus. All groups learned to 9 out of 10 correct responses with the black card positive; then Group CO was immediately reversed; Group E50 was given 50 over-learning trials before being reversed; and Group E150 was given 150 overlearning trials before reversal. Trials to reach a criterion of 9 out of 10 correct with white positive were then detd. for all groups. Although rats given 150 trials above criterion in original learning continued to run longer to the black stimulus card upon reversal, they also learned the reversal to white at a far more rapid rate than did either of the other groups. Possible interpretations are discussed.