Siemann M, Delius J D, Wright A A
Allgemeine Psychologie, Universität Konstanz, Postfach 55 60 D 36, D-78434 Konstanz, Germany.
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, P.O. Box 20708, Houston, TX 77225, USA.
Behav Processes. 1996 Sep;37(2-3):185-95. doi: 10.1016/0376-6357(96)00020-4.
Fersen et al. (1991) (J. Exp. Psychol.: Anim. Behav. Process., 17: 334-341) trained pigeons to discriminate four overlapping pairs of stimuli A + B -, B + C -, C + D - and D + E - (+ rewarded, - penalized). When subsequently tested with a pair BD the pigeons showed a strong preference for stimulus B. A special value transfer theory was offered as an explanation for this transitive responding. A simpler reinforcement ratio account based on certain inequalities factually affecting the accuracy performance on training pairs is proposed. To explore its implications an experiment employing a novel grit-grain conditioning method was carried out. The presentation frequencies of the training pairs were biased so that the choice accuracies obtained at the end of training were approximately equal for all pairs. Testing with pair BD still yielded high preference for B, documenting the robustness of the transitive responding phenomenon. When suitably adjusted to the training design the reinforcement ratio account was still viable. The transitive responding with the BD and other test pairs could also be simulated with a simple reinforcement based conditioning model. Some of the subjects were then retrained with modified presentation frequencies so that the subjects ended up with an even overall exposure to all training pairs. Test pairs continued to yield strong transitive responding. It is concluded that this behavioral effect is a robust phenomenon which is largely unaffected by training design modifications.
费尔森等人（1991年）（《实验心理学杂志：动物行为过程》，第17卷：334 - 341页）训练鸽子辨别四对重叠的刺激物A + B -、B + C -、C + D - 和D + E -（+表示奖励， - 表示惩罚）。随后用BD对鸽子进行测试时，鸽子对刺激物B表现出强烈的偏好。提出了一种特殊的价值转移理论来解释这种传递性反应。基于某些实际上影响训练对准确性表现的不等式，提出了一种更简单的强化比率解释。为了探究其影响，进行了一项采用新型沙砾颗粒条件作用方法的实验。训练对的呈现频率存在偏差，以便在训练结束时所有对获得的选择准确性大致相等。用BD对进行测试时，对B仍然有很高的偏好，证明了传递性反应现象的稳健性。当根据训练设计进行适当调整时，强化比率解释仍然可行。BD和其他测试对的传递性反应也可以用一个简单的基于强化的条件作用模型来模拟。然后，一些受试者用修改后的呈现频率重新训练，以便受试者最终对所有训练对有均匀的总体接触。测试对继续产生强烈的传递性反应。得出的结论是，这种行为效应是一种稳健的现象，很大程度上不受训练设计修改的影响。
