General and specific perceptual learning in radial speed discrimination

Abstract

The specificity of learning in speed discrimination was examined in three psychophysical experiments. In Experiment 1, half of the observers trained with inward motion direction on a speed discrimination task, whereas the other half trained on the same task but with outward motion direction. The results indicated that significant training-based improvement transferred from a trained radial direction to an untrained radial direction. Experiment 2 confirmed this transfer by showing that complete transfer was obtained even when stimuli moving in an untrained radial direction were used in the transfer task. In Experiment 3, observers were trained at a viewing distance of 114 cm. The results showed that learning transferred partly to the viewing distances of 57 cm and 228 cm. In summary, the present transfer results indicate that reliable generalizations can be obtained in perceptual learning of radial speed discrimination.