Abstract
In successive discrimination training, pigeons’ responses on an operant key were reinforced in the presence of one wavelength stimulus (555 nm) but not in the presence of another (576 nm). The discriminative stimuli were displayed on a second response key, the signal key. Signal-key responses did not produce reinforcement, and operant-key responses were not reinforced if they followed within 1 sec of a signal-key response. Maintained generalization gradients demonstrated strong stimulus control over responding maintained by both stimulus- reinforcer (signal-key) and response-reinforcer (operant-key) contingencies. Gradients derived from test stimulus presentations preceded by specified wavelengths (stimulus-specific gradients) generally did not vary with the value of the preceding stimulus. Both operant-key and signal- key stimulus-specific gradients exhibited small local behavioral contrast effects, and peak shift occurred for signal-key but not operant-key responding when test stimuli were preceded by wavelengths of 538 nm and 555 nm.
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This research was supported by NSF Grant BNS 78-01407 to David R. Thomas. K. Geoffrey White was on sabbatical leave from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. James P. Rodgers and Robert J. Newlin contributed valuable assistance.
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White, K.G., Thomas, D.R. Topographically tagged stimulus control: Maintained generalization and stimulus-specific gradients. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 13, 275–278 (1979). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336869
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336869