Sturz Bradley R, Diemer Stephanie M
Armstrong Atlantic State University, Department of Psychology, Savannah, GA 31419, USA.
Behav Processes. 2010 Jan;83(1):90-8. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.11.001. Epub 2009 Nov 10.
In two experiments, human participants searched in dynamic three-dimensional virtual-environment rectangular enclosures. Unlike previous studies involving learning of features and geometry, we trained features and geometry separately before placing them in conflict. Specifically, participants learned to respond to rewarded features located along the principle axis of a rectangular search space and to respond to rewarded geometry of a rectangular search space in separate training phases followed by a single test trial. During the test trial, features and geometry were placed in conflict by situating rewarded bins during feature training in unrewarded geometric corners from geometry training and unrewarded bins during feature training in rewarded geometric corners from geometry training. Results of Experiment 1 indicated that although all participants learned features and geometry at an equivalent rate and to an equivalent level, performance during the test trial indicated no preferential responding to features or geometry. However, choice reaction time was significantly longer during the test trial compared to that of last feature and last geometry training trials. Experiment 2 attempted to dissociate information content of features and geometry from their acquired associative strength by rewarding only one geometric corner during geometry training. Results of Experiment 2 indicated that although features had presumably acquired greater associative strength relative to that of geometry by the end of training, performance during the test trial indicated no preferential responding to features or geometry. As in Experiment 1, choice reaction time was significantly longer during the test trial compared to that of last feature and last geometry training trials. Collectively, results seem to provide converging evidence against a view-based matching account of spatial learning, appear inconsistent with standard associative-based accounts of spatial learning, and suggest that information content of spatial cues may play an important role in spatial learning.
在两项实验中，人类参与者在动态三维虚拟环境矩形围栏中进行搜索。与之前涉及特征和几何形状学习的研究不同，我们在将特征和几何形状置于冲突之前分别对它们进行了训练。具体而言，参与者在单独的训练阶段学习对位于矩形搜索空间主轴上的奖励特征做出反应，并对矩形搜索空间的奖励几何形状做出反应，随后进行单次测试试验。在测试试验中，通过在几何形状训练中无奖励的几何角落放置特征训练中的奖励箱，以及在几何形状训练中奖励的几何角落放置特征训练中的无奖励箱，使特征和几何形状产生冲突。实验1的结果表明，尽管所有参与者以相同的速度和水平学习了特征和几何形状，但测试试验中的表现表明对特征或几何形状没有优先反应。然而，与最后一次特征训练试验和最后一次几何形状训练试验相比，测试试验中的选择反应时间明显更长。实验2试图通过在几何形状训练中仅奖励一个几何角落，将特征和几何形状的信息内容与其获得的联想强度区分开来。实验2的结果表明，尽管到训练结束时，特征相对于几何形状可能获得了更大的联想强度，但测试试验中的表现表明对特征或几何形状没有优先反应。与实验1一样，与最后一次特征训练试验和最后一次几何形状训练试验相比，测试试验中的选择反应时间明显更长。总体而言，结果似乎提供了越来越多的证据反对基于视图匹配理论的空间学习观点，似乎与基于标准联想理论的空间学习观点不一致，并表明空间线索的信息内容可能在空间学习中发挥重要作用。
