Role of monkeys' spatial preferences in performance of a nonspatial task.

Abstract

Analyzed the performance of adult rhesus monkeys in 3 experiments on a nonspatial delayed matching task in terms of spatial and color preferences and perseverations. Ss utilized significant spatial but not color tendencies. The strength of spatial tendencies was determined to be an important error factor accounting for differences among Ss in overall accuracy. Spatial tendencies, however, could not account for intra-S differences in accuracy as a function of testing conditions. Administration of d-amphetamine, scopolamine, and chlorpromazine lowered accuracy. Only the effect of d-amphetamine, however, could be largely attributed to an influence on spatial tendencies. The elicitation of spatial tendencies was found to be related to the immediacy with which Ss performed the matching response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)