Effects of pimozide on accuracy of performance and distribution of correct responding on a simultaneous discrimination task in the rat

1980 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 859-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom N. Tombaugh ◽  
Michael A. Ritch ◽  
Devan T. Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination

scholarly journals Do young domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) rely on object-specific cues in a simultaneous discrimination task?

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nawroth ◽  
Eberhard von Borell
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
Food Container ◽  
Young Pigs

Finding and relocating food sources is not only crucial for individuals in changing natural environments - it is also of importance in domestic animals under husbandry conditions, for instance to reduce stress when transferring animals into new housing conditions. This study makes a first attempt by investigating young pigs´ use of conflicting spatial and feature cues in a simultaneous discrimination task. In a training phase, subjects (n = 9) first learned to approach a food container with distinct spatial and feature cues. In a subsequent test phase, spatial and feature cues were brought into conflict. Results show that young pigs significantly preferred to approach the spatial position rather than the feature cue of a food container – at least for the visual domain - while inter-individual differences in choice behaviour suggest that animals recognized the changed context. However, the actual test setup did not exclude alternatives to the use of spatial cues, e.g. instrumental learning. The results may contribute to a better understanding of learning mechanisms in domestic pigs and could be used to improve husbandry designs, reduce stress levels after transfer and may prove to be helpful in designing further test paradigms investigating discriminative learning abilities in the domestic pig.

The Discrimination of Human Odour by the Dog

Perception ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G Hepper
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination ◽  
Matching To Sample ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Human Odour

In reply to a suggestion made by Galton in 1875, the ability of dogs to discriminate between the odour of human twins was investigated. In a matching-to-sample simultaneous discrimination task, dogs were tested on their ability to discriminate odours from twins differing only in genetic relatedness or only in environmental factors, particularly diet, or from twins identical in both genetic relatedness and environmental factors. Dogs could discriminate between the odours from twins who differed only in environmental factors and between the odours of twins who differed only in genetic relatedness. However, they were unable to discriminate between odours produced by infant twins identical in both genetic relatedness and environmental factors. Thus twins may be discriminated by dogs as long as they differ in genetic relatedness or environmental factors. The possible source of discriminable odours is discussed and how the effects of genes and environment are mediated considered.

scholarly journals Do young domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) rely on object-specific cues in a simultaneous discrimination task?

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nawroth ◽  
Eberhard von Borell
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
Food Container ◽  
Young Pigs

Finding and relocating food sources is not only crucial for individuals in changing natural environments - it is also of importance in domestic animals under husbandry conditions, for instance to reduce stress when transferring animals into new housing conditions. This study makes a first attempt by investigating young pigs´ use of conflicting spatial and feature cues in a simultaneous discrimination task. In a training phase, subjects (n = 9) first learned to approach a food container with distinct spatial and feature cues. In a subsequent test phase, spatial and feature cues were brought into conflict. Results show that young pigs significantly preferred to approach the spatial position rather than the feature cue of a food container – at least for the visual domain - while inter-individual differences in choice behaviour suggest that animals recognized the changed context. However, the actual test setup did not exclude alternatives to the use of spatial cues, e.g. instrumental learning. The results may contribute to a better understanding of learning mechanisms in domestic pigs and could be used to improve husbandry designs, reduce stress levels after transfer and may prove to be helpful in designing further test paradigms investigating discriminative learning abilities in the domestic pig.

Infants' Discrimination of Moving and Stationary Objects

1977 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Hartlep ◽  
G. Alfred Forsyth
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Simultaneous Discrimination ◽  
Form Discrimination ◽  
Discrimination Testing ◽  
Stationary Objects ◽  
Bull's Eye ◽  
Stationary Form ◽  
Operant Technique

An operant technique was used to train 10-wk.-old infants on a simultaneous discrimination task with a checkerboard cube and a bull's-eye sphere presented in a stationary form. Discrimination testing with the objects in motion and with the objects stationary indicated that infants are able to discriminate between simultaneously presented objects whether stationary or in motion. The results are contrasted to T. G. R. Bower's assessment of infants' utilization of features in perceiving moving objects.

Stimulus Ratio Effects on Speech Discrimination by Children and Adults

1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan E. Sussman
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Response Pattern ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Speech Discrimination ◽  
Adult Group ◽  
Discrimination Accuracy ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Place Of Articulation ◽  
Adults And Children

This investigation examined the response strategies and discrimination accuracy of adults and children aged 5–10 as the ratio of same to different trials was varied across three conditions of a “change/no-change” discrimination task. The conditions varied as follows: (a) a ratio of one-third same to two-thirds different trials (33% same), (b) an equal ratio of same to different trials (50% same), and (c) a ratio of two-thirds same to one-third different trials (67% same). Stimuli were synthetic consonant-vowel syllables that changed along a place of articulation dimension by formant frequency transition. Results showed that all subjects changed their response strategies depending on the ratio of same-to-different trials. The most lax response pattern was observed for the 50% same condition, and the most conservative pattern was observed for the 67% same condition. Adult response patterns were most conservative across condition. Differences in discrimination accuracy as measured by P(C) were found, with the largest difference in the 5- to 6-year-old group and the smallest change in the adult group. These findings suggest that children’s response strategies, like those of adults, can be manipulated by changing the ratio of same-to-different trials. Furthermore, interpretation of sensitivity measures must be referenced to task variables such as the ratio of same-to-different trials.

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