A modification of Seward's (1949) procedure was used to demonstrate latent learning in a diamond maze, in which extra-maze cues are made irrelevant by having the positive and negative goal boxes adjacent. In a series of experiments, 55 of 60 rats made correct test trial choices. When the cues from visually distinctive areas halfway down the paths to the goal boxes were eliminated, only 15 of 30 Ss chose correctly. It was concluded that these visual cues controlled Ss' behavior.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DyalJ. A.Brightness and spatial discriminations based on perceived incentive magnitude. J. camp. physiol. Psychol., 1960, 53, 346–350.
2.
GoughP. B.Some tests of the Hullian analysis of reasoning in the rat. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Soc., St. Louis, August, 1962.
3.
HullC. L.A behavior system. New Haven: Yale Univer. Press, 1952.
4.
KendlerH. H.KendlerT. S.Inferential behavior in pre-school children. J. exp. Psychol., 1956, 51, 311–314.
5.
KimballR. C.KimballL. T.WeaverH. E.Latent learning as a function of the number of discriminative cues. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1953, 46, 274–280.
6.
KoronakosC.Inferential learning in rats: the problem-solving assembly of behavior segments. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1959, 52, 231–235.
7.
LambertK.A study of latent inferences. Canad. J. Psychol., 1960, 14, 45–50.
8.
MacCorquodaleK.MeehlEdwardP. E.TolmanC. In EstesW. K., Modern learning theory. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1954. Pp. 177–266.
9.
SewardJ. P.An experimental analysis of latent learning. J. exp. Psychol., 1949, 39, 177–186.
10.
StrainE. R.Establishment of an avoidance gradient under latent-learning conditions. J. exp. Psychol., 1953, 46, 391–399.
11.
ThistlethwaiteD.A critical review of latent learning and related experiments. Psychol. Bull., 1951, 48, 97–129.
12.
TolmanE. C.GleitmanH.Studies in learning and motivation: I. Equal reinforcements in both end boxes, followed by shock in one end box. J. exp. Psychol., 1949, 39, 810–819.
