PubMed · 14050174
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L M COOPER. 1963. OPERANT BEHAVIOR AS A FUNCTION OF STIMULUS COMPLEXITY.. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0049219
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Recent studies have shown that spatial Simon effects can be modulated by short-term associations that are set up as a result of task instructions. I examined whether spatial Simon effects can also be produced by short-term associations even when the responses are unrelated to spatial position. Participants were to say "cale" or "cole" on the basis of the direction of arrows (i.e., left or right), the meaning of words (i.e., left or right), and the color of squares presented left or right of the screen center. Responses to squares were faster when the correct response was associated with the same position as the irrelevant position of the square (e.g., say "cale" to a square on the left when "cale" was assigned to the word left and the left arrow). This new type of stimulus-response compatibility effect provides the first evidence for short-term associations that involve mode-independent representations.
M. Oaksford, N. Chater, and J. Larkin (2000) proffered a Bayesian model in which conditional inferences are a direct function of conditional probabilities. In the current article, the authors first considered this model regarding the processing of negatives in conditional reasoning. Its predictions were evaluated against a large-scale meta-analysis (W. J. Schroyens, W. Schaeken, & G. d'Ydewalle, 2001b). This evaluation shows that the model is flawed: The relative size of the negative effects does not match predictions. Next, the authors evaluated the model in relation to inferences about affirmative conditionals, again considering the results of a meta-analysis (W. J. Schroyens, W. Schaeken, & G. d'Ydewalle, 2001a). The conditional probability model is countered by the data reported in literature; a mental models based model produces a better fit. The authors conclude that a purely probabilistic model is deficient and incomplete and cannot do without algorithmic processing assumptions if it is to advance toward a descriptively adequate psychological theory.
A key feature of skilled motor behavior is the ability of the CNS to predict the consequences of its actions. Such prediction occurs when one hand pulls on an object held in the other hand; the restraining hand generates an anticipatory increase in grip force, thereby preventing the object from slipping. When manipulating a novel object, the CNS adapts its predictive response to ensure that predictions are accurately tuned to the dynamics of the object. Here we examine whether learning to predict the consequences of an action on a novel object is restricted to the actions performed during manipulation or generalizes to novel actions. A bimanual task in which subjects held an object in each hand and the relationship between actions on one object and the motion of the other could be computer controlled from trial-to-trial was used. In four conditions we varied the spatial relationship between the direction of force subjects applied to the left-hand object and the consequent direction of motion of an object held in their right hand, which subjects were required to restrain. The results show that predictive learning was local to the direction of forces experienced during learning and that the magnitude of predictive responses was greatly reduced for novel directions of action of the left hand. The pattern of generalization shows that the representation of predictive learning is spatially local and can be approximated as having a spatially narrow Gaussian basis function.