Wright S L, Martin G M, Thorpe C M, Haley K, Skinner D M
Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grenfell Campus, Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.
Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
Learn Behav. 2019 Mar;47(1):38-46. doi: 10.3758/s13420-018-0320-7.
Across three experiments, we examined the cuing properties of metric (distance and direction) and nonmetric (lighting) cues in different tasks. In Experiment 1, rats were trained on a response problem in a T-maze, followed by four reversals. Rats that experienced a change in maze orientation (Direction group) or a change in the length of the start arm (Distance group) across reversals showed facilitation of reversal learning relative to a group that experienced changes in room lighting across reversals. In Experiment 2, rats learned a discrimination task more readily when distance or direction cues were used than when light cues were used as the discriminative stimuli. In Experiment 3, performance on a go/no-go task was equivalent using both direction and lighting cues. The successful use of both metric and nonmetric cues in the go/no-go task indicates that rats are sensitive to both types of cues and that the usefulness of different cues is dependent on the nature of the task.
在三项实验中，我们研究了在不同任务中，度量（距离和方向）线索和非度量（光照）线索的提示特性。在实验1中，大鼠在T型迷宫中接受反应问题训练，随后进行四次反转。在反转过程中经历迷宫方向变化（方向组）或起始臂长度变化（距离组）的大鼠，相对于在反转过程中经历房间光照变化的组，表现出反转学习的促进作用。在实验2中，当使用距离或方向线索作为辨别刺激时，大鼠比使用光照线索时更容易学会辨别任务。在实验3中，使用方向和光照线索时，在Go/No-Go任务中的表现相当。在Go/No-Go任务中成功使用度量和非度量线索表明，大鼠对这两种类型的线索都很敏感，并且不同线索的有用性取决于任务的性质。
