IMPRINTING, CONDITIONING, AND WITHIN-EVENT LEARNING

Three experiments investigated whether or not the temporal relationshi p between the visual (V) and auditory (A) components of an imprinting stimulus influenced the acquisition of a visual preference in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus). In Experiments la and Ib, chicks g iven simultaneous presentations of V and A showed a more marked tenden cy to approach V than those given sequential exposure to V and A. In E xperiments 2 and 3, chicks received exposure to two visual stimuli, V1 and V2. During training, presentations of V1 preceded, followed, or w ere separated by 30 sec from presentations of a simultaneous compound comprising V2 and A. Chicks in each condition subsequently showed an e quivalent preference to approach V2 rather than V1. These results show that filial imprinting, unlike Pavlovian conditioning but like within -event learning, proceeds most readily when training involves the simu ltaneous presentation of stimuli.