Biological Significance as a Determinant of Cue Competition
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- James Denniston Ph.D., Associate Professor and Department Chairperson (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Abstract: Many researchers have noted the similarities between
causal judgment in humans and Pavlovian conditioning
in animals. One recently noted discrepancy between these two
forms of learning is the absence of backward blocking in animals,
in contrast with its occurrence in human causality Judgment.
Here we report two experiments that investigated the role
of biological significance in backward Mocking as a potential
explanation of this discrepancy. With rats as subjects, we used
sensory preconditioning and second-order conditioning procedures,
which allowed the to-be-blocked cue to retain low biological
significance during training for some animals, but not
for others. Backward blocking was observed only when the target
cue was of low biological significance during training.
These results suggest that the apparent discrepancy between
human causal judgment and animal Pavlovian conditioning
arises not because of a species difference, but because human
causality studies ordinarily use stimuli of low biological significance,
whereas animal Pavlovian studies ordinarily use stimuli
of high biological significance, which are apparently protected
against cue competition.
Biological Significance as a Determinant of Cue Competition
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Denniston, J. C., Miller, R. R., & Matute, H. (1996). Biological significance as a determinant of cue competition. Psychological Science, 7(6): 325-331. Published by Wiley-Blackwell (ISSN: 1467-9280).
- Language: English
- Date: 1996