Human and rat encoding of structural ambiguity in serial pattern learning

• Published in: Learning and motivation Vol. 48; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Kundey, Shannon M.A., Haller, William, Alvarez, Shaina, Dennen, Weston, Dennen, Catherine, Rowan, James D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Elsevier Inc 01.11.2014; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Cognitive ability; Human error; Learning; Rats; Rodents; Sequential pattern learning; Serial pattern learning; Structural ambiguity; Structural ambiguity; Rats; Sequential pattern learning; Serial pattern learning
• ISSN: 0023-9690; 1095-9122
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2014.08.001

Many have investigated how organisms detect and learn about the patterned sequences of stimuli that they regularly encounter. In some cases, a sequence of stimuli may be structurally ambiguous. That is, more than one rule might be generated in attempts to describe or organize the sequence in a meaningful way. Past studies exploring learning of such sequences have indicated that while subjects can learn about the rules describing such sequences, they often make errors in learning consistent with holding multiple representations of the sequence. Here, we examined the ability of humans and rats to perform runs and trills sequences over the same spatial locations in a pattern production task using a touchscreen (humans) or a circular operant chamber array (rats). One of two signals, presented immediately prior to the start of each trial, indicated which sequence to perform. The results indicated that both species were able to learn to produce runs and trills sequences at levels exceeding chance, which provides additional evidence that humans and rats may hold multiple representations of structurally ambiguous sequences.