| Abstract: | McCollough effects (MEs), first described by C. McCollough (1965), are perceptual aftereffects of color that depend on the spatial configuration of line patterns. Several investigators have suggested that MEs may be the product of an associative learning mechanism, and G. M. Murch (see record 1976-20108-001) developed a formal model attributing MEs to classical conditioning. In the present article, Murch's conception is evaluated by comparing the basic characteristics of conditioning with those of MEs. Although some similarities are noted, MEs differ from CRs in that they fail to display relative permanence, be disrupted by reduction of the correlation between the CS and UCS during acquisition, and show accumulative effects of practice. It is concluded that MEs are not classically conditioned responses; the question of whether they can be regarded as any form of learned behavior is debated. (74 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
