Learning capacities of the infant rhesus monkey
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1956 |
Authors: |
William A. Mason, Nancy C. Blazek, Harry F. Harlow |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology |
Keywords: |
delayed response, learning capactiy, patterned string tests, rhesus monkey |
Abstract:
Delayed response, patterned string tests and discrimination learning problems administered at intervals during the rhesus monkey’s first year of life show the feasibility of estimating the learning capacity of infant monkeys. Individual discrimination problems were learned at 150 days of age and ability to form learning sets was demonstrated. Delayed responses up to 40 sec. were successfully acquired. Parallel and converging string problems were easily solved, but crossed strings proved difficult. “The data suggest that it should be possible to trace both the role of maturation and the role of carefully specified previous learning experience on a wide range of learned performances.”