Abstract
A rhesus monkey was trained successfully on an auditory same/different task. The monkey showed significant savings in acquisition when transferred to different sound sequences (from 1,480 trials at first acquisition to 25 trials at later transfer). Factors that may have been important in this acquisition were the use of a large stimulus set size (38 trial-unique sounds), sound and response localization cuing, tactual cuing, differential reinforcement of different responding, and early sound localization accompanied by gradual fading. The probe (second) sound was initially presented only through the correct side speaker, right for same sound, left for different sound. After the monkey learned to touch the speaker from which the sound emanated, the sound level coming from the incorrect speaker was gradually increased to full intensity. Only 30 trials at full intensity on both probe speakers were needed before the criterion (80% correct responding) was reached. The monkey was then transferred to a new sequence of sounds. Ten sequences were presented in all (including six with novel stimuli). Only the first four sequences required sound localization fading; all others used only full-intensity sound. In all cases, responding reached 80% correct or better, demonstrating good acquisition of the auditory same/different task.
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This research was funded by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-35202 to Anthony A. Wright and by National Institute of Health Institutional Training Grant EY-07024.
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Shyan, M.R., Wright, A.A., Cook, R.G. et al. Acquisition of the auditory same/different task in a rhesus monkey. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 25, 1–4 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330060
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330060