Biomaterial Database

Movement discrimination capacities in the cat. 1978

M A Berkley, and D S Warmath, and J E Tunkl

Cats were trained to discriminate moving from nonmoving targets or one direction of movement from another. Various stimulus changes, e.g., size, direction, and rate, were then introduced as a test for generalization of the dimension of movement. Thresholds for detection for minimal movement were also determined. The results showed that (a) for cats, discrimination of movement is more difficult than discriminations based on brightness; (b) the dimension of movement is completely generalized across stimulus configuration but incompletely generalized for direction of movement; (c) the mean movement detection threshold was found to be 3.3 degrees/sec; (d) the thresholds for minimal movement and direction of movement were essentially identical; and (e) stimulus-viewing strategies were found to play an important role in the threshold determinations. The results of the generalization tests are consistent with the physiological properties of neurons found to be sensitive to movement in the cat visual system. The movement threshold values were found to lend support to the view that resolution and slow movement thresholds are correlated.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009039	Motion Perception	The real or apparent movement of objects through the visual field.	Movement Perception,Perception, Motion,Perception, Movement
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D009949	Orientation	Awareness of oneself in relation to time, place and person.	Cognitive Orientation,Mental Orientation,Psychological Orientation,Cognitive Orientations,Mental Orientations,Orientation, Cognitive,Orientation, Mental,Orientation, Psychological,Orientations,Orientations, Cognitive,Orientations, Mental,Orientations, Psychological,Psychological Orientations
D012160	Retina	The ten-layered nervous tissue membrane of the eye. It is continuous with the OPTIC NERVE and receives images of external objects and transmits visual impulses to the brain. Its outer surface is in contact with the CHOROID and the inner surface with the VITREOUS BODY. The outer-most layer is pigmented, whereas the inner nine layers are transparent.	Ora Serrata
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D003216	Conditioning, Operant	Learning situations in which the sequence responses of the subject are instrumental in producing reinforcement. When the correct response occurs, which involves the selection from among a repertoire of responses, the subject is immediately reinforced.	Instrumental Learning,Learning, Instrumental,Operant Conditioning,Conditionings, Operant,Instrumental Learnings,Learnings, Instrumental,Operant Conditionings
D004056	Differential Threshold	The smallest difference which can be discriminated between two stimuli or one which is barely above the threshold.	Difference Limen,Just-Noticeable Difference,Weber-Fechner Law,Difference Limens,Difference, Just-Noticeable,Differences, Just-Noticeable,Differential Thresholds,Just Noticeable Difference,Just-Noticeable Differences,Law, Weber-Fechner,Limen, Difference,Limens, Difference,Threshold, Differential,Thresholds, Differential,Weber Fechner Law
D004192	Discrimination, Psychological	Differential response to different stimuli.	Discrimination, Psychology,Psychological Discrimination
D005260	Female		Females