Autoshaping. II. Applicability of the Autoshaping Principles to Some Natural Learning Phenomena

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Although the principles of autoshaping derived from laboratory experiments using mostly the adult pigeon were shown to have some cross-species and cross-situational generality, it is yet to be demonstrated that the principles are of any use in understanding learning phenomena outside the laboratory. Three natural learning phenomena were discussed that might involve processes or mechanisms common to autoshaping. First, the ontogenetic development of food- or water-ingestive behavior in the young chick was considered to parallel the formation of autoshaped responses to the signal of food or water delivery in the adult pigeon. Second, like autoshaping, imprinting in young precocial birds could be regarded as an example of the classical conditioning of signal-directed behavior. Third, search image formation or learning to recognize food items against background in birds might involve autoshaping-like processes in that it requires visual discrimination based on stimulus-reinforcer association. It is concluded that the demonstrated applicability of the autoshaping principles to these natural learning phenomena should encourage a functional-biological (evolutionary) approach to learning.
1986-10-31