AN ATTENTIONAL MODEL OF DIMENSIONAL CONTRAST

In this article, the authors introduce a model of dimensional stimulus control designed to explain dimensional contrast effects. The model s uggests that dimensional contrast is the result of the nonuniform allo cation of limited attentional resources during discrimination training . Attention in the model is conceived as a gradient that extends throu ghout a spatial representation of stimuli. The authors examine the res ults of 5 experiments to assess the quality of fit of the model and it s theoretical implications. Variations in training procedures, such as changing presentation probability of stimuli, changing the distributi on of training stimuli, and changing the relative difficulty of discri mination, can all be accounted for by differences in the allocation of attentional resources. The good fit of the model indicates that atten tional limitations may play an important role in stimulus control phen omena such as dimensional contrast.