Use of position and feature cues in discrimination learning by the whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus inornatus). 2003

Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.

Animals use a variety of cue types to locate and discriminate objects. The ease with which particular cue types are learned varies across species and context. An enormous literature contains comparisons of spatial cue use to use of other cue types, but few experiments examine the ease with which various nonspatial cues are learned. In addition, few studies have examined cue use in reptiles. Thus, the authors compared whiptail lizards' (Cnemidophorus inornatus) ability to learn and reverse a discrimination using either position (left or right) or visual feature cues. Lizards learned and reversed the task using position cues faster and with greater accuracy than using feature cues.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008116 Lizards Reptiles within the order Squamata that generally possess limbs, moveable EYELIDS, and EXTERNAL EAR openings, although there are some species which lack one or more of these structures. Chameleons,Geckos,Chameleon,Gecko,Lizard
D008297 Male Males
D011897 Random Allocation A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects. Randomization,Allocation, Random
D002755 Choice Behavior The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation. Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D003071 Cognition Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge. Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D003118 Color Perception Mental processing of chromatic signals (COLOR VISION) from the eye by the VISUAL CORTEX where they are converted into symbolic representations. Color perception involves numerous neurons, and is influenced not only by the distribution of wavelengths from the viewed object, but also by its background color and brightness contrast at its boundary. Color Perceptions,Perception, Color,Perceptions, Color
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D004193 Discrimination Learning Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli. Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001522 Behavior, Animal The observable response an animal makes to any situation. Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors

Related Publications

Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
September 1988, Hormones and behavior,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
September 1986, General and comparative endocrinology,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
September 2008, Endocrinology,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
April 1966, Journal of morphology,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
April 1992, General and comparative endocrinology,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
February 2009, Brain research,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
August 1977, Transplantation,
Lainy Baird Day, and Nyla Ismail, and Walter Wilczynski
September 2006, Hormones and behavior,
Copied contents to your clipboard!