| Abstract: | In a relatively unexplored memory procedure, pigeons indicated whether or not an event recently occurred. On positive trials, a sample stimulus was presented, followed by a delay, followed by a choice between the yes and no alternatives (with yes being the correct choice). On negative trials, the yes and no choice alternatives were presented without a preceding sample, and on these trials, no was the correct choice. Recent research on this topic seems to suggest that performance on negative trials is governed by a memory-free default response strategy, whereas performance on positive trials is governed by memory for the sample stimulus. However, a signal detection analysis leads to a different conclusion. In both cases, according to this account, performance was determined by the strength of a memory trace in relation to a decision criterion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
