Abstract
The present study demonstrates the contribution of spatial contiguity in the formation of associations between two neutral stimuli. Using human participants, we used visual conditioned stimuli (CSs) in a sensory preconditioning design in which simultaneous CS2-CS1 pairings and CS4-CS3 pairings were interspersed during Phase 1, followed by sequential CS1-US+ (i.e., CS1-pleasant US) and CS3-US-− (i.e., CS3-unpleasant US) pairings during Phase 2. The conditioned response was a shift in the gaze of the participants to the location where the US+ (i.e., short video clip) appeared. Distances between CS2 and CS1 and between CS4 and CS3 were manipulated. Our results showed a greater response to CS2 when the Phase 1 stimuli were adjacent rather than separated by 100 pixels. Implications for the role of spatial contiguity in associative learning are discussed.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
