Reversal of visual discrimination and visual acute extinction in cats with poor or limited early visual experience

Abstract

Transformation of visual instrumental conditioned reflexes rewarded with food was compared in cats binocularly deprived of pattern vision in the early period of life (BD cats), control cats reared also in the laboratory but with open eyes (C cats) and cats reared in normal environment (N cats). In Expt. I the cats were given 4 sequential reversal trainings of cross vs. disc discrimination and in Expt. II a response to a gate marked with a cross or a disc was submitted to 4 sequential acute extinctions and restorations. The results show that both visual deprivation and rearing in monotonous laboratory environment moderately affect transformation of associations between visual stimuli and hunger drive and instrumental responses. However, in BD cats transformation learning is less impaired than previously studied visual discrimination learning.