Title
Generalization gradients in human predictive learning: Effects of discrimination training and within-subjects testing
Date Issued
01 August 2011
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Vervliet B.
Vervoort E.
Baeyens F.
Publisher(s)
Elsevier
Abstract
Generalization gradients have been investigated widely in animal conditioning experiments, but much less so in human predictive learning tasks. Here, we apply the experimental design of a recent study on conditioned fear generalization in humans (Lissek et al., 2008) to a predictive learning task, and examine the effects of a number of relevant procedural parameters drawn from the generalization literature in animal conditioning. Experiment 1 shows that prior discrimination learning and steady-state testing procedures sharpen the gradient; Experiment 2 shows that within-subjects testing of the range of generalization stimuli also sharpens the gradient. In addition, Experiment 2 shows that, in case of very flat initial generalization, an orderly gradient can reveal itself through differential rates of extinction learning. Finally, Experiment 2 also evidenced an orderly gradient of generalization-of-extinction. These results suggest that discrimination processes have an important effect on the generalization of predictive learning in humans, and highlight behavioral analogies between animal conditioning and human predictive learning. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Start page
210
End page
220
Volume
42
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Psicología Ciencias de la educación
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-79958772023
Source
Learning and Motivation
ISSN of the container
00239690
Source funding
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Sponsor(s)
Organización Holandesa para la Investigación Científica
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus