Airblast avoidance learning sets in rhesus monkeys

Five rhesus monkeys were tested across a series of object discrimination problems requiring avoidance of noxious pressurized air. Each S displayed a progressive reduction in the number of trials to reach criterion on particular problems, eventually achieving 82% and 88% correct performance on Trials 2–6 and Trial 6. respectively. Certain error factors also appearing in appetitive discrimination learning set research (stimulus perseveration and differential cue) were identified, as well as a factor of relative unimportance in appetitive set (positional responding). A most persistent appetitive error factor presumably reflecting a tendency to explore the unchosen object (response shift) did not appear. In addition, the results extend the effectiveness of aversive airblasts to a relatively complex discrimination task.