Progressive Acquisition of Relevant Cues in Visual Pattern Discrimination by Monkeys

Abstract

Three monkeys, on a self-shaping regimen, learned a 6+ vs 4– simultaneous visual pattern discrimination. The stimuli were projected randomly upon translucent panels at 2 of 16 possible locations for each trial. In tabulating all panel presses during acquisition, it is shown that decreased preference for non-illuminated (blank) panels is attended by an increased preference for both the positive and the negative stimuli. Criterion-level preference exclusively for the positive stimulus thus does not occur until a markedly increased preference for the negative stimulus is eliminated.