Abstract
Two experiments demonstrated that transfer of training between CSs from different sensory modalities survived substantial reductions in responding to the first CS. In both experiments, animals received three stages of training. Stage 1 entailed CS-US training with a CS from one modality (e.g., light), and Stage 3 entailed CS-US training with a CS from another modality (e.g., tone). The experiments differed in treatment during Stage 2. In Experiment 1, animals either remained in their home cages or received unreinforced exposures to the first CS, which extinguished the original CR. In Experiment 2, the animals received either continued CS-US training or exposure to the CS and US but at a long interval (2,800 msec), which eliminated the original CR. As the baseline for detection of transfer effects, each experimental group had a control group that received Stage 1 training with a 2,800-msec CS-US interval, which produced minimal CR acquisition. The results of both experiments revealed substantial positive transfer across CS modalities regardless of the treatment during Stage 2. The transfer did not appear immediately on test presentations of the second CS in Stage 3. Rather, the transfer appeared as an enhancement in the rate of CR acquisition after reinforced training with the second CS had commenced. The results are discussed with respect to stimulus generalization, neutralization of background stimuli, and learning processes superordinate to specific associations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bunch, M. E. (1936). The amount of transfer in rational learning as a function of time.Journal of Comparative Psychology,22, 325–337.
Bunch, M. E. (1939). Transfer of training in the mastery of an antagonistic habit after varying intervals of time.Journal of Comparative Psychology,28, 189–200.
Bunch, M. E. (1944). Cumulative transfer of training under different temporal conditions.Journal of Comparative Psychology,37, 265–272.
Bunch, M. E., &McCraven, V. (1938). Temporal course of transfer in the learning of memory material.Journal of Comparative Psychology,25, 481–496.
Ellis, H. C. (1965).The transfer of learning. New York: Macmillan.
Estes, W. K. (1955). Statistical theory of spontaneous recovery and regression.Psychological Review,62, 145–154.
Frey, P. W., &Butler, C. S. (1977). Extinction after aversive conditioning: An associative or nonassociative effect.Learning and Motivation,8, 1–17.
Frey, P. W., &Ross, L. E. (1968). Classical conditioning of the rabbit eyelid response as a function of interstimulus interval.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology,65, 246–250.
Frey, P. W., &Sears, R. J. (1978). Model of conditioning incorporating the Rescorla-Wagner associative axiom, a dynamic attention process, and a catastrophe rule.Psychological Review,85, 321–340.
Friedes, D. (1974). Human information processing and sensory modality: Cross-modal functions, information complexity, memory, and deficit.Psychological Bulletin,81, 284–310.
Gormezano, I. (1966). Classical conditioning. In J. B. Sidowski (Ed.),Experimental methods and instrumentation in psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Harlow, H. (1959). Learning set and error factor theory. In S. Koch (Ed.),Psychology: A study of a science (Vol. 2). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hinson, R. E. (1982). Effects of UCS preexposure on excitatory and inhibitory rabbit eyelid conditioning: An associative effect of conditioned contextual stimuli.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,8, 49–61.
Hoehler, F. K., Kirschenbaum, D. S., &Leonard, D. W. (1973). The effects of overtraining and successive extinctions upon nictitating membrane conditioning in the rabbit.Learning and Motivation,4, 91–101.
Hull, C. L. (1943).Principles of behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
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., Gibbs, C. M., Garcia, E., &Gormezano, I. (1979). Associative transfer and stimulus selection in classical conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response to serial compound CSs.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,5, 1–18.
Kehoe, E. J., &Holt, P. E. (1984). Transfer across CS-US intervals and sensory modalities in classical conditioning of the rabbit.Animal Learning & Behavior,12, 122–128.
Leonard, D. W. (1975). Partial reinforcement effects in classical aversive conditioning in rabbits and human beings.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology,88, 596–608.
Levine, M. (1959). A model of hypothesis behavior in discrimination learning set.Psychological Review,66, 353–366.
Mackintosh, N. J. (1975). A theory of attention: Variation in the associability of stimuli with reinforcement.Psychological Review,82, 276–298.
Mackintosh, N. J. (1977). Stimulus control: Attentional factors. In W. K. Honig & J. E. R. Staddon (Eds.),Handbook of operant behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Meck, W. H., &Church, R. M. (1982). Abstraction of temporal attributes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,8, 226–243.
Mis, F. W., &Moore, J. W. (1973). Effect of preacquisition UCS exposure on classical conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response.Learning and Motivation,4, 108–114.
Pavlov, I. P. (1927).Conditioned reflexes (G. V. Anrep, Trans.). London: Oxford University Press.
Postman, L., &Schwartz, M. (1964). Studies of learning to learn. I. Transfer as a function of method of practice and class of verbal materials.Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior,3, 37–49.
Prokasy, W. F., &Papsdorf, J. D. (1965). Effects of increasing the interstimulus interval during classical conditioning of the albino rabbit.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology,60, 249–252.
Reberg, D. (1972). Compound tests for excitation in early acquisition and after prolonged extinction of conditioned suppression.Learning and Motivation,3, 246–258.
Rescorla, R. A., &Heth, C. D. (1975). Reinstatement of fear to an extinguished conditioned stimulus.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,1, 88–96.
Rescorla, R. A., &Wagner, A. R. (1972). A theory of Pavlovian conditioning: Variations in the effectiveness of reinforcement and nonreinforcement. In A. Black & W. F. Prokasy (Eds.),Classical conditioning II. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Restle, F. (1975).Learning: Animal behavior and human cognition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Richards, R. W., &Sargent, D. M. (1983). The order of presentation of conditioned stimuli during extinction.Animal Learning & Behavior,11, 229–236.
Rodgers, J. P., &Thomas, D. R. (1982). Task specificity in nonspecific transfer and in extradimensional stimulus generalization in pigeons.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,8, 301–312.
Scandrett, J., &Gormezano, I. (1980). Microprocessor control and A-D data acquisition in classical conditioning.Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation,12, 120–125.
Seraganian, P. (1979). Extradimensional transfer in the easy-to-hard effect.Learning and Motivation,10, 39–57.
Seraganian, P., &Popova, Y. I. (1976). Cross-modal transfer of a conditioned flexion response in dogs.Pavlovian Journal of Biological Sciences,11, 162–174.
Smith, M., Coleman, S. R., &Gormezano, I. (1969). Classical conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response at backward, simultaneous and forward CS-US intervals.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology,69, 226–231.
Smith, M., &Gormezano, I. (1965). Effects of alternating classical conditioning and extinction sessions on conditioned nictitating membrane response of the rabbit.Psychonomic Science,3, 91–92.
Sutton, R. S., &Barto, A. G. (1981). Toward a modern theory of adaptive networks: Expectation and prediction.Psychological Review,88, 135–170.
Thomas, D. R. (1970). Stimulus selection, attention, and related matters. In J. H. Reynierse (Ed.),Current issues in animal learning. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Thomas, D. R., Miller, J. T., &Svinicki, J. G. (1971). Nonspecific transfer effects of discrimination training in the rat.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology,74, 96–101.
Westbrook, R. F., &Homewood, J. (1982). The effects of a flavour toxicosis pairing upon long-delay, flavour aversion learning.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,34B, 139–149.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by the School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, and the Australian Research Grants Scheme (A27815154).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kehoe, E.J., Morrow, L.D. & Holt, P.E. General transfer across sensory modalities survives reductions in the original conditioned reflex in the rabbit. Animal Learning & Behavior 12, 129–136 (1984). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03213131
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03213131