Marking effects in instrumental performance on DRH schedules

Three experiments investigated the effect of presenting a brief stimulus after a response sequence on the rate of lever-pressing by rats on differential reinforcement of high rate (DRH) schedules. In Experiment 1 enhanced responding was produced by a visual stimulus presented during a 500-msec delay of reinforcement compared to a condition in which no stimulus was presented. In Experiment 2 rats responded on a multiple DRH DRH schedule in which the DRH contingency was reinforced on a 50% schedule in each component. Equivalent levels of responding occurred in the components when reinforcement was signalled in one component and when the signal was presented following the non-reinforced schedules in the other components. A further group of rats received the stimulus presented after non-reinforced schedules in one component but not at all in the other component; responding was enhanced in the former component relative to the latter component. In Experiment 3 brief stimuli presented after the completion of DRH components on a second-order VR (DRH) schedule elevated response rates irrespective of whether the signal was presented paired or unpaired with reinforcement. The present data support the view that a brief signal may serve to mark a response sequence in memory and facilitate instrumental performance.     

A comparison of information processing and dynamical systems perspectives on problem solving

Abstract

This article compares the information processing and dynamical systems perspectives on problem solving. Key theoretical constructs of the information-processing perspective include “searching” a “problem space” by using “heuristics” that produce “incremental” changes such as reaching a “subgoal” to solve a puzzle. Key theoretical constructs of the dynamical-systems perspective include “positive attractors”, “negative attractors”, and “latent attractors” that can cause large “nonincremental” changes in the possibility of a solution through the “emergence” of new ideas and beliefs that can resolve a conflict. The proposed alignment maps dynamical-system constructs to information-processing constructs: state space to problem space, negative attractor to impasse, positive attractor to productive subgoal, latent attractor to implicit cognition, and nonincremental change to insight. The purpose of the mapping is to explore similarities and differences between these constructs. Research from cognitive and social psychology illustrates how using constructs from both perspectives is helpful. The concluding section on Future Directions recommends an agenda based on three objectives: (1) create ontologies to organise current knowledge, (2) conduct research to obtain new knowledge, and (3) provide education to inform students about this knowledge.     

Interference with judgements of control and learning as a result of prior exposure to controllable and uncontrollable feedback during concept-learning tasks

Two experiments examined whether exposure to an uncontrollable relationship between an action and its outcome during a nonaversive pretreatment phase would attenuate subsequent ratings of control given to actions emitted by subjects. In Experiment 1, such an interference effect was demonstrated relative to a group that received prior training with a controllable action- outcome relationship, and relative to a group not exposed to any prior relationship. In Experiment 2, these effects were replicated, and interference was also found to occur when learning a maze task. Thus, the effects of helplessness were shown to be quite general, to be produced by a nonaversive induction procedure, and to occur most readily when the current contingency between action and outcome was weakest.     

Book reviews

Gale. A., & Eysenck, M.W. (Eds.). (1992). Handbook of individual diffeences: Biological perspectives. Chicheste: Wiley. Pp. 395. ISBN 0-471-91155-0. £59.95 (Hbk.).

Honig, N. (1988). Pesonality: In seach of individuality. New York: Academic Press. Zuckeman, M. (1991). Psychobiology of Personality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

McGrew, W.C (1992). Chimpanzee mateial culture: Implications fo human evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xvi + 277. ISBN 0-521-41303-6. £40.00 (Hbk.). ISBN 0-521-42371-6. £16.95 (Pk.).

McGego, P.K. (Ed.) (1992). Playback and studies of animal communication. NATOASI Series Vol. 228. New York: Plenum Press. Pp. x + 231. ISBN 0-306-44205-1. Us$90.00 (Hbk.).

Gibson. K.R., & Ingold. T. (1993). Tools, language and cognition in human evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. xii + 483. ISBN 0-521-41474-1. £45.00 (Hbk.).

Amsel, A. (1992). Frustration theoy: An analysis of dispositional learning and memoy. Cambridge: Cambridge Univesity ress. Pp. xiii + 278. ISBN 0-521-24784-5. £35.00 (Hbk.).