Acquisition of three-alternative simultaneous matching-to-sample and oddity-from-sample was investigated. Five goldfish were trained on matching and five on oddity for a minimum of 70 days. Subsequently, six of the fish were trained for 70 days on the other task. Acquisition was similar for oddity and matching. Correct responding started at about chance level and slowly increased to about 75%, with some animals performing at levels of over 85%. Acquisitiqp of oddity following matching and matching following oddity began below chance. Maximal level of performance on second-task oddity was comparable to that on first-task matching. By contrast, the maximal levels of performance when matching was the second task were not as high as that of the same subjects at the end of firsttask oddity. All fish exhibited strong color preferences during matching acquisition but not during oddity acquisition. The data demonstrated that goldfish can acquire a discrimination in which the stimulus associated with reinforcement depends on the identity of a second stimulus.
Goldfish pressed a paddle for intermittent food reinforcement in the presence of one of seven different monochromatic wavelengths. Wavelengths in 20 nm steps from 430 to 690 nm, matched for "brightness," were then presented for 20 days during which food maintained responding to the training stimulus. Generalization gradients calculated from the final four days were asymmetric. A long wavelength gradient showed maintained responding above 630 nm; at short wavelengths responding generalized below 490 nm; four middle wavelength gradients could indicate two groupings having maximum responses at around 510 and 570 nm.The physiology of the goldfish visual system has been extensively described (Wheeler, 1982). The three cone pigments are maximally sensitive to wavelengths of 455, 530, and 625 nm (Marks, 1965; Harosi and MacNichol, 1974). In the subsequent stages of retinal processing there are cells which respond in an opponent fashion. Some horizontal cells hyperpolarize and depolarize to different wavelengths (MacNichol and Svaetichin, 1958;Tomita, 1965); many bipolar and amacrine cells are color-coded (Kaneko, 1973); there are ganglion cells with double-opponent receptive fields (Daw, 1968; Spekreijse, Wagner, and Wolbarst, 1972;Beauchamp and Lovasik, 1973; Mackintosh, Bilotta, and Abramov, 1987); and single cells in the optic tectum of the goldfish respond in an opponent manner (Jacobson, 1964). In addition to these physiological descriptions, what is needed is an understanding of how this information is integrated and used by the fish. This paper examines how the various wavelengths are grouped together by the goldfish. This issue has been explored in nonhuman animals in two ways: matching-to-sample and generalization gradients. Wright and Gumming (1971) described "color-naming" gradients for pigeons using a matching-to-sample technique.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.