| Abstract: | Three rhesus monkeys were trained on a categorization task using a successive-discrimination paradigm. The category members were geometric stimuli differing in color, form, size, and orientation; and the component features of category exemplars were neither singly necessary nor jointly sufficient to determine category membership. Original learning was followed by transfer tests involving both training stimuli and new exemplars. After this initial learning and transfer phase, the assignment of categories to positional responses was reversed. After the reversal learning criterion was met, transfer tests were again given. This procedure was continued until 5 reversals had been completed. Ss were able to learn this task involving ill-defined categories and showed both appropriate transfer to new examples and improvement across successive reversals. Both the learning and transfer data are in accord with the idea that component features are encoded or combined in an interactive, rather than an independent, manner and show parallels with human classification data. (French abstract) (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
