Narrowing down the conditions for extinction of Pavlovian feature-positive discriminations in humans

The aim of this study was to delineate the minimal conditions for extinction of Pavlovian modulation in humans. Previous experiments at our lab showed that, after X ? A+/A?C acquisition training, X?C trials did not extinguish differential X ? A+/A?C responding, while X ? A?C trials did. Additionally, X ? A?C extinction training seemed only to extinguish differential X ? A+/A?C responding, while leaving differential responding on a concurrently trained Y ? B+/B?C discrimination intact. It thus seemed that the X ? A+/A?C discrimination can only be extinguished by X ? A?C extinction trials. (Rescorla, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 12, 16?C24, 1986), on the other hand, found that the minimal conditions for extinction were broader in pigeons: Namely, he found that an acquired X ? A+/A?C discrimination could be extinguished by presenting the original feature X in combination with a different target (B) that was minimally trained as an exciter. We thus wanted to examine whether this was also the case in humans. We found that nonreinforced X ? B?C presentations did not abolish discriminative X ? A/A responding when target B was a nonreinforced stimulus. Nonreinforced X ? B?C trials did extinguish the X ? A+/A?C discrimination when target B had previously been trained as a target for modulation (X ? B+/B?C or Y ? B+/B?C training) or as a reinforced exciter (B+). Our results thusf parallel and extend those in nonhuman animals (Rescorla, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 12, 16?C24, 1986).     

The ontogeny of the feature-positive effect in young chicks

The wide generality of the feature-positive effect (FPE) has caused speculation that the FPE may represent innate biases in the stimulus control of discriminative responding. There is little experimental evidence to date ragarding this possibility. In the present study, 1- or 4-day-old chicks were trained on a feature-positive (FP) or feature-negative (FN) discrimination with heat reinforcement. After the acquisition phase, these subjects received extinction training followed by a reacquisition phase. The FP performance was superior to the FN performance in both age groups. Extinction resulted in improved discrimination performance in both the FP and FN conditions. Unmasking of FN learning by the extinction treatment suggests that the FPE represents a deficit in performance, rather than an inability to learn the FN task. These data demonstrate that adult-like performance on feature discriminations is evident as early as the first day post-hatch.     

The feature-positive effect and sign-tracking behavior during discrimination learning in the rat

Feature-positive (FP) and feature-negative (FN) successive discrimination learning was investigated in the rat. When a discrete, visual element serving to differentiate the discriminanda belonged to S+ (FP), rats acquired the discrimination more rapidly than when it formed a part of S? (FN). During the course of training, FP rats developed a tendency to direct their responding toward the differentiating feature in S+ while FN rats shifted their responding away from this element in S?. These findings were discussed in terms of the conceptions of stimulus-reinforcer relations and “sign-tracking” behavior.     

An exploration of adult career interests and work values in Taiwan

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between vocational interests and work values among 206 adults in Taiwan. The instruments were the Career Interest Inventory developed based on Holland’s RIASEC typology and the Work Value Inventory developed based on Super’s theory. The results of multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant gender differences in overall vocational interests and overall work values. In addition, the gender differences were found in three vocational interests (Realistic, Artistic, and Social) and three types of work value (Achievement, Economic Return, and Way of life). The results of canonical correlation analyses showed similar, but not exactly the same, patterns in correlation of interests and values between men and women. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for research and practice.     

A sequential feature-positive effect using tone as the distinguishing feature in an autoshaping procedure

Four groups of pigeons were exposed to an autoshaping procedure in which all trials were signaled by a green key light. A tone signaled a food trial for the two tone-positive groups and a no-food trial for the two tone-negative groups. The tone preceded and terminated with green light onset for the two sequential groups and began and ended with the green key light for the two simultaneous groups. The sequential tone-positive group acquired the discrimination faster than the other groups. Asymptotic discrimination was best in the sequential tone-positive and simultaneous tone-negative groups. Relatively few responses occurred on the green key in the simultaneous tone-positive group. The relationship of these results to other studies of the feature-positive effect are discussed.     

Temporal determinants of occasion setting in feature-positive discriminations

Three experiments examined the acquisition and transfer of Pavlovian feature-positive discriminations (XA+, A?) in rat subjects. To identify the nature of the associations formed in those discriminations, the form of the conditioned responses (CRs) was examined. If the feature,X, and common element, A, cues started and ended together onXA compoud trials, associations betweenX and the food unconditioned stimulus (US) were acquired. If the onsets and/or terminations ofX preceded those of A,X acquired the ability to set the occasion for responding to A, that is, A evoked CRs only onXA compound trials. The acquisition of occasion setting was favored when (1) the onset of X preceded that of A, (2) the interval betweenX and A and/or the US was relatively long, and (3) the termination ofX occurred prior to the onset of A. The occasion-setting power ofX was fairly specific to A:X did not modulate responding evoked by another cue that had been first trained and then extinguished or by a cue that had been paired with the US only a few times. However,X did enhance responding to a cue that had been a common element in another, identical feature-positive discrimination. That transfer was somewhat greater if theX and A terminated together than ifX terminated prior to the onset of A. Implications for theories of stimulus control in Pavlovian conditioning are discussed.     

Conditioning of simultaneous and serial feature-positive discriminations

Three experiments with rat subjects examined the development of simultaneous and serial feature-positive discriminations in appetitive conditioning. In Experiment 1, reinforced presentations of a simultaneous light-tone compound were intermixed with nonreinforced presentations of either the light or the tone. The compound stimulus acquired conditioned behaviors of a form characteristic of the predictive feature alone; the element common to reinforced and nonreinforced trials did not evoke conditioned behavior. In Experiment 2, reinforced presentations of a serial light-trace-tone compound were intermixed with nonreinforced tone-alone presentations. The light feature stimulus acquired conditioned behaviors characteristic of visual CSs. The tone stimulus, common to reinforced and nonreinforced trials, evoked conditioned behaviors characteristic of auditory CSs, but only when preceded by the light. In Experiment 3, variations in the interval between the light and tone on reinforced trials had little effect on responding to the light CS but substantially altered the pattern of responding to the tone CS. These results suggested that simultaneous and serial feature-positive discriminations may be solved differently. Performance in simultaneous feature-positive discriminations may be determined solely by associations between the feature stimulus and the reinforcer, but performance in serial discriminations may also involve the acquisition of a conditional cue function to the feature.     

An exploration of the effect of servicescape on student institution choice in UK universities

In recent years there has been increased discussion of the subjective, emotional and sociological factors influencing student choice of university. However, there is a dearth of information exploring what constitutes these feelings. This exploratory paper uses the conceptual model of the servicescape to provide insight into the emotional factors driving student choice. In-depth interviews with prospective students revealed that first impressions really do count. Students are deterred by poor physical environments and excited by enthusiastic staff and students. Most significantly, the study revealed the necessity of a restorative servicescape to provide both a sense of escape and feeling of belonging. This paper contributes to broadening the application of the servicescape model and to a greater understanding of the impact of the environment on prospective students, and creates an opportunity to inform policy by providing university marketing decision makers with a better understanding of what constitutes the university environment and what makes it appealing to prospective students.     

An exploration of the validity and potential of adult ego development for enhancing understandings of school leadership

An adult ego development (AED) perspective accepts that the way adults interpret and interact in the social world can change during their life-span. This article seeks to analyse the validity and potential of AED for enhancing understandings of educational leadership practice and development. We analysed the AED literature and interviewed 16 individuals in senior leadership positions in the English school system. The interviews enabled them to explore the notion of AED and to reflect on their own sense-making capability and their experience of school leaders they considered to be in the different stages of AED. Educational leaders judged to be in the different AED stages were encountered by respondents to varying extents and were experienced and valued differently. Those considered to be in the later AED stages appeared to be more highly valued and their sense-making capabilities may have substantial value in the complex working environment of schools. The analyses showed that: AED has a considerable role in educational leadership practice; can inform the analysis of educational leadership practice and development; and has valuable explanatory power.     

Contextual control of pavlovian feature-positive and feature-negative discriminations

Three pigeons were trained with a Pavlovian serial feature-positive (F-P) discrimination task in a light context, in which the houselight was on, and with a Pavlovian serial feature-negative (F-N) discrimination task in a dark context, in which the houselight was off. Three other pigeons were trained with the F-P task in the dark context and the F-N task in the light context. These two contextual conditions were changed randomly trial by trial. The former birds learned the tasks within 60 sessions, by responding exclusively to the target keylight after the feature tone in the light context and by responding exclusively to the target not preceded by the feature in the dark context. Two of the latter birds required separate training of the F-P and the F-N tasks to acquire the discrimination: responding exclusively to the target after the feature in the dark context and responding exclusively to the target not preceded by the feature in the light context. The third bird, however, failed to learn the discrimination even with separate training. These results indicate that the four-term contingency (the context-feature-target-food relationship) controlled the birds’ behavior in the Pavlovian setting. The insertion of a temporal gap between the feature and the target impaired the F-N discrimination, although it had little effect on the F-P discrimination.     

Type of feature affects transfer in operant serial feature-positive discriminations

In two experiments, the effects of feature identity in operant serial feature-positive discriminations were examined with rats. Rats were trained with two serial feature-positive discriminations (F1 → T1+/ T1? and F2 → T2+/ T2?), in which different operants were reinforced with delivery of a sucrose solution during two auditory target cues (T1 and T2). The features (F1 and F2) were two visual cues, two flavored sucrose solutions, or one visual cue and one sucrose solution. Transfer of a feature’s control to the target of the other discrimination was observed only when the features were from the same modality. When observed, transfer responding was of the form originally trained to the target, rather than the feature, and was preserved after feature extinction. Control groups showed that the differential transfer was not solely the consequence of differential feature generalization. Implications for theories of occasion setting are discussed.     

马来西亚国际合作办学发展探析

为了适应高等教育国际化和本国经济的发展要求,马来西亚加大对高等教育的投入,特别是对国际合作办学的重视,使得马来西亚开始由教育输入国向教育输出国的行列进发.通过对马来西亚国际合作办学的发展历程、现状,以及对其发展的动因和策略进行分析,从而为国内的中外合作办学提供一些参考性建议.     

成人《经济数学》课程教学改革与探索

作者借鉴开放教育“导学-自学-助学”的教学模式，在普通高校继续教育学院《经济数学》课程的教学中，进行了一些教学方面的改革，从中得到一些收获和体会。这种教学模式激发了学生自主学习的积极性。     

开放式实训教学的探讨与实践

开放式实验（实训）与传统实验（实训）的区别在于教学模式、主体、内容、方法和目的不同,其工作过程包括资讯、决策、计划、实施、答辩和评价6个模块.在实践中,应注重教师主导作用与提升综合能力相结合、校内与校外相结合、培养学生的创新能力与综合设计能力相结合、开放管理与动态管理相结合.     

探究方案设计优化初探

化学新课程改革已经有三个年头了,在新教材刚实施的时候,我们教师对于课本中的探究实验基本上都是按照课本中的方案进行的,但是随着时间的推移,对课本设计者的教育观点、对探究本质的认识和对学生现状的了解的不断深入,教师对原设计的探究方案进行反思、进行优化和改进就变得很有必要了。     

美国高等教育问责制度探究

问责制在过去的二三十年间成为诸多国家教育改革的热点,是政府部门及社会公众监督管理高等教育的重要手段和形式.美国高等教育通过采用履行问责制度来有效回应高等教育利益相关方的责任诉求,同时也顺应了高等教育自身生存与发展的内在需要.我国高等教育的发展过程中也不断出现各种问题,通过研究实施有效的美国高等教育问责制度,可以对我国高等教育的改革提供一些启示和建议.     

西方高等教育的企业化进路

自1980年代以来,西方英美等国大学受市场化取向的公共部门改革影响,随着国家对大学公共财政资助的削减,国家在大学发展中角色弱化,市场运作机制在大学中逐步确立;大学内各种知识活动如教育与研究逐步商品化;反映到大学组织特性上,则是大学日益带有企业的特征。大学开始像企业一样,竞争求生存、回应市场调整自身“产品”质量,打造形象、借鉴企业的管理模式,考虑成本效益,追求卓越。这是1980年代以来西方国家高等教育改革的主要进路。     

自主学习探索

阅读是学生的个性化行为，在阅读教学中让学生自读自悟，是体现个性化学习的根本途径。自读自悟要从激发学生学习兴趣入手，让学生的情感活动始终伴随阅读全过程，让学生在感兴趣的自主活动中提高语素质，并应立足于激发学生的想象力和创造潜能。在倡导自主学习时，要重视学习方式的选择。变“学会回答”为“学会提问”“，能充分激发学生主动学习的意识和进取精神，有利于培养学生语实践能力，提高语素养。还要引导学生学会合作学习，通过多向交流，培养学生的合作精神和通过多种渠道获取信息的能力。