Abstract
Three experiments examined “atomistic” and “configurai” processes in stimulus compounding using the rabbit’s conditioned nictitating membrane response. Two conditioned stimuli (CSs) were trained separately and then tested together in a compound. Animals trained with CSs from different modalities—namely, tone and light—showed summation in both acquisition and extinction. That is, the probability of a response to the compound could be predicted by the statistical sum of responding to the CSs. In contrast, animals trained with CSs from the auditory modality, tone and noise, showed a level of responding to the tone + noise compound that was the same as that of the CSs, well under the level predicted by the statistical sum of responding to the CSs. In conclusion, atomistic processes appear to predominate in cross-modal compounding. Configurai processes may occur during compounding within the auditory modality, but atomistic alternatives—namely, common elements and selective attention hypotheses—may be able to explain the results.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Couvillon, P. A., &Bitterman, M. E. (1982). Compound conditioning in honeybees.Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology,96, 192–199.
Gormezano, I. (1966). Classical conditioning. In J. B. Sidowski (Ed.),Experimental methods and instrumentation in psychology (pp. 385–420). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gormezano, I., &Gibbs, C. M. (1988). Transduction of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,20, 18–21.
Heinemann, E. G., &Chase, S. (1975). Stimulus generalization. In W. K. Estes (Eds.),Handbook of learning and cognitive processes (pp. 305–349). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Honey, R. C., &Hall, G. (1989). Attenuation of latent inhibition after compound pre-exposure: Associative and perceptual explanations.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,41B, 355–368.
Hull, C. L. (1943).Principles of behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Kehoe, E. J. (1982a). Conditioning with serial compound stimuli Theoretical and empirical issues.Experimental Animal Behaviour,1, 30–65.
Kehoe, E. J. (1982b). Overshadowing and summation in compound stimulus conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane responseJournal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,8, 313–328.
Kehoe, E. J. (1986). Summation and configuration in conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response to compound stimuli.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,12, 186–195.
Kehoe, E. J. (1988). A layered network model of associative learning: Learning-to-learn and configuration.Psychological Review,95, 411–433.
Kehoe, E. J., Feyer, A., &Moses, J. L. (1981). Second-order conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response as a function of the CS2-CS1 and CS1-US intervals.Animal Learning & Behavior,9, 304–315.
Kehoe, E. J., &Gormezano, I. (1980). Configuration and combination laws in conditioning with compound stimuli.Psychological Bulletin,87, 351–378.
Kehoe, E. J., &Graham, P. (1988). Summation and configuration in negative patterning of the rabbit’s conditioned nictitating membrane response.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,14, 320–333.
Kehoe, E. J., &Holt, P. E. (1984). Transfer across CS-US intervals and sensory modalities in classical conditioning in the rabbit.Animal Learning & Behavior,12, 122–128.
Kehoe, E. J., Marshall-Goodell, B., &Gormezano, I. (1987). Differential conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response to serial compound stimuli.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,13, 17–30.
Kehoe, E. J., Morrow, L. D., &Holt, P. E. (1984). General transfer across sensory modalities survives reductions in the original conditioned reflex in the rabbit.Animal Learning & Behavior,12, 129–136.
Kehoe, E. J., &Napier, R. M. (1991). Real-time factors in the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response to pulsed and serial conditioned stimuli.Animal Learning & Behavior,19, 195–206.
Kehoe, E. J., &Schreurs, B. G. (1986). Compound conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response: Test trial manipulations.Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society,24, 79–81.
Mackintosh, N. J. (1975). A theory of attention: Variation in the associability of stimuli with reinforcement.Psychological Review,82, 276–298.
Meehl, P. E. (1945). An examination of the treatment of stimulus patterning in Professor Hull’s “Principles of Behavior.”Psychological Review,52, 324–332.
Pavlov, I. P. (1927).Conditioned reflexes (G. V. Anrep, Trans.). London: Oxford University Press.
Pearce, J. M. (1987). A model for stimulus generalization in Pavlovian conditioning.Psychological Review,94, 61–73.
Pearce, J. M., &Wilson, P. N. (1991). Effects of extinction with a compound conditioned stimulus.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,17, 151–162.
Rescorla, R A. (1972). “Configurai” conditioning in discrete-trial barpressing.Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology,79, 307–317.
Rescorla, R. A. (1973). Evidence for “unique stimulus” account of configurai conditioning.Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology,85, 331–338.
Rescorla, R. A., &Wagner, A. R. (1972). A theory of Pavlovian conditioning: Variations in the effectiveness of reinforcement and nonreinforcement. In A. H. Black & W. F. Prokasy (Eds.),Classical conditioning II (pp. 64–99). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Scandrett, J., &Gormezano, I. (1980). Microprocessor control and A/D data acquisition in classical conditioning.Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation,12, 120–125.
Sutherland, N. S., &Mackintosh, N. J. (1971).Mechanisms of animal discrimination learning. New York: Academic Press
Weiss, S. J. (1972). Stimulus compounding in free operant and classical conditioning: A review and analysis.Psychological Bulletin,78, 189–208.
Weiss, S. J. (1978). Discriminated response and incentive processes in operant conditioning: A two-factor model of stimulus control.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,3, 361–381.
Woodbury, C. B. (1942). The learning of stimulus patterns in dogs.Journal of Comparative Psychology,35, 29–40.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Australian Research Council Grants AC89322441 and AC9231222.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kehoe, E.J., Horne, A.J., Horne, P.S. et al. Summation and configuration between and within sensory modalities in classical conditioning of the rabbit. Animal Learning & Behavior 22, 19–26 (1994). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03199952
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03199952