These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Sameness May Be a Natural Concept That Does Not Require Learning.
    Author: Zentall TR, Andrews DM, Case JP.
    Journal: Psychol Sci; 2018 Jul; 29(7):1185-1189. PubMed ID: 29750594.
    Abstract:
    It has been assumed that when pigeons learn how to match to sample, they learn simple stimulus-response chains but not the concept of sameness. However, transfer to novel stimuli has been influenced by pigeons' tendency to be neophobic. We trained pigeons on matching ( n = 7) and mismatching ( n = 8) with colors as samples and, with each sample, one color as the nonmatching comparison. We then replaced either the matching or the nonmatching stimulus with a familiar stimulus never presented with that sample. Results suggest that for both matching and mismatching, pigeons locate the stimulus that matches the sample: If the task involves matching, they chose it; if it involves mismatching, they avoid it. Thus, the concept of sameness is the basis for correct choice with both tasks. This finding suggests that sameness is a basic concept that does not have to be learned and may have evolved in many species, including humans.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]