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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1973 Jan;19(1):167–179. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-167

Contrast effects in maintained generalization gradients1

John C Malone Jr, J E R Staddon
PMCID: PMC1334062  PMID: 16811647

Abstract

In Experiment I, pigeons were given equal reinforcement (variable-interval 1-min) for responding during randomized presentations of eight line-orientation stimuli. Then, only responding in the vertical orientation was reinforced. Stable generalization gradients soon formed and persistent behavioral and local (transient) contrast effects appeared. Local contrast effects were not a function of relative reinforcement frequency or of any other variable known to produce contrast. Instead, they were related to average response rates associated with each stimulus. Experiment II showed that local contrast effects represent increases and decreases in response rates relative to baseline responding, and that these effects are relative; a given stimulus might enhance responding during a subsequent presentation of one stimulus, but depress responding when followed by another. These data indicate that discrimination learning is not adequately described as the acquisition of excitatory properties by some stimuli and inhibitory properties by others. A more adequate account implies that stimuli exert both excitatory and inhibitory effects related to their value.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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