Machado Armando, Arantes Joana
University of Minho, Portugal.
Behav Processes. 2006 Jun 1;72(3):195-206. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2006.03.001. Epub 2006 Mar 7.
To contrast two models of timing, Scalar Expectancy Theory (SET) and Learning to Time (LeT), pigeons were exposed to a double temporal bisection procedure. On half of the trials, they learned to choose a red key after a 1s signal and a green key after a 4s signal; on the other half of the trials, they learned to choose a blue key after a 4-s signal and a yellow key after a 16-s signal. This was Phase A of an ABA design. On Phase B, the pigeons were divided into two groups and exposed to a new bisection task in which the signals ranged from 1 to 16s and the choice keys were blue and green. One group was reinforced for choosing blue after 1-s signals and green after 16-s signals and the other group was reinforced for the opposite mapping (green after 1-s signals and blue after 16-s signals). Whereas SET predicted no differences between the groups, LeT predicted that the former group would learn the new discrimination faster than the latter group. The results were consistent with LeT. Finally, the pigeons returned to Phase A. Only LeT made specific predictions regarding the reacquisition of the four temporal discriminations. These predictions were only partly consistent with the results.
为了对比两种计时模型，即标量期望理论（SET）和时间学习理论（LeT），让鸽子接受了双重时间二分程序。在一半的试验中，它们学会在1秒信号后选择红色按键，在4秒信号后选择绿色按键；在另一半试验中，它们学会在4秒信号后选择蓝色按键，在16秒信号后选择黄色按键。这是ABA设计的A阶段。在B阶段，鸽子被分成两组，并接受一项新的二分任务，其中信号范围为1至16秒，选择按键为蓝色和绿色。一组在1秒信号后选择蓝色且在16秒信号后选择绿色时得到强化，另一组则在相反映射（1秒信号后选择绿色且16秒信号后选择蓝色）时得到强化。虽然标量期望理论预测两组之间没有差异，但时间学习理论预测前一组比后一组能更快学会新的辨别。结果与时间学习理论一致。最后，鸽子回到A阶段。只有时间学习理论对四种时间辨别的重新习得做出了具体预测。这些预测只是部分与结果相符。
