Discrimination learning: Two views in historical perspective.

Abstract

This paper reviews theoretical developments in the study of discrimination learning in relation to 2 major contemporary viewpoints-a perceptual orientation as expressed in differentiation theory and a learning orientation as expressed in mediation theory. Early as well as present theory and research are found to have consistently emphasized response processes, particularly those of a mediational nature, in accounts of discrimination learning. This line of development is seen as tending to have precluded proper consideration of the nature and role of the stimulus. When viewed in this historical context, the conceptions of differentiation theory are seen as promoting a desirable theoretical and empirical balance.

CUE‐PRODUCING BEHAVIOR IN THE CAPUCHIN MONKEY DURING REVERSAL, EXTINCTION, ACQUISITION, AND OVERTRAINING1

“…Gibson and Gibson, 1955;Gibson, 1966;Tighe and Tighe, 1966), a pivotal issue has concerned the source of reinforcement for perceptual learning, which some feel is quite different from the externally manipulated rewards usually involved in instrumental learning. One view is that perceptual activities are reinforced by uncertainty reduction, i.e., by the information provided by veridical perception of the environment.…”

Effect of angle stimulation during development on adult discrimination ability in rats

“…However, this effect was inconsistent with the interpretation from previous form-rearing studies, since angle stimulation enhanced learning in a variety of tasks. This outcome also raises the possibility that the effects observed in the form-rearing studies may not have represented specific transfer; this suggestion would be relevant to the differentiation theory of discrimination iearning, which was partially based on these findings and interpretations (Tighe & Tighe, 1966).…”

Transfer from perceptual pretraining as a function of number of stimulus values per dimension

“…Hence, the effect appears to be mediated directly by the variable itself. Perceptual and attentional models of discrimination learning (e.g., Sutherland, 1959;Tighe & Tighe, 1966;Zeaman & House, 1963), which relate ease of reversal learning to the degree to which discriminative response is under the control of the relevant dimension, suggest two hypotheses which might account for these data. The first is that degree of perceived continuity among stimulus values may be a critical factor in the isolation of dimensions of this type.…”

“…The major feature of the pretraining is that Ss are required to make nonreinforced same-different judgments to successively presented stimulus objects which vary along the dimensions appearing in the subsequent discrimination task. Following the conceptions of differentiation theory (Gibson & Gibson, 1955;Tighe & Tighe, 1966), which provided the impetus for these experiments, it is assumed that such pretraining facilitates differentiation of the task stimuli and that positive transfer to discrimination following such treatment is due to an increase in S's sensitivity to the distinguishing features (dimensions) of the task.…”