Alternative accounts are preferable to value transfer theory: Commentary on Dorrance, Kaiser, and Zentall (1998)

Dorrance, Kaiser and Zentall (1998) trained pigeons on two concurrent simul taneous discriminations (A+B-; C+D-), with interspersed single-stimulus tri als in which, responding to the two positive discriminanda was differential ly reinforced (A+; C+/-). In each of four separate experiments, the birds s howed a preference for stimulus B over stimulus D. Dorrance et al. conclude d that the results of these experiments were best described in terms of val ue transfer theory (VTT; Fersen, Wynne, Delius, & Staddon, 1991). They reje ct the possibility that the results of these experiments might have been ca used by differential nonreinforced experience with the test stimuli (B and D) on the basis of correlational analyses within each experiment. However, differences between experiments in choice of B over D are well predicted by differences in their history of reinforcement. Previous findings that were thought to favor VTT are also entirely consistent with a simpler associati ve analysis.