Learning sets and object-size effects on visual discrimination learning by raccoons.

Abstract

"To determine the relative difficulty for raccoons of learning to discriminate different sizes of objects, nine raccoons learned 28 object-discrimination problems. Varying the maximum linear extent of objects from one to six inches had no effect on the learning of discriminations. The raccoons formed learning sets which enabled them to learn in one, trial problems that they had been unable to learn in 216 trials. Their learning-set formation was superior to that reported for any subhuman species except higher monkeys and chimpanzees.".