Perceptual Learning in the Rat: Stimulus Differentiation or Latent Inhibition of Common Elements?

Preexposure to an unreinforced stimulus facilitates learning (perceptual learning) under some conditions, but it can have the opposite effect (latent inhibition) under other conditions. Researchers have suggested that perceptual learning depends on a change of context, whereas latent inhibition is u...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of General Psychology Vol. 129; no. 2; pp. 170 - 181
Autores principales: Winefield, Anthony H., Green, Alisa, Metzer, J. C.
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd April 2002
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Preexposure to an unreinforced stimulus facilitates learning (perceptual learning) under some conditions, but it can have the opposite effect (latent inhibition) under other conditions. Researchers have suggested that perceptual learning depends on a change of context, whereas latent inhibition is usually context specific. The associative theory explains both phenomena within a single framework. The authors report 4 experiments that show that perceptual learning does not depend on a context change. The experiments suggest that latent inhibition, unlike perceptual learning, depends on passive exposure. Thus the results do not support the associative theory. They are more consistent with Gibson's stimulus-differentiation theory. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.