Journal article
Nonnumerical stimuli exert surprisingly strong behavioral control in an unconstrained numerical discrimination learning task
Cognition, Vol.274, 106552
04/14/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2026.106552
PMID: 41990648
Abstract
Does number exert greater behavioral control during numerical discrimination learning than do nonnumerical properties of multi-stimulus arrays? Existing evidence has yet to provide a clear answer to this question. Therefore, we devised a new method to simultaneously assess the behavioral effects of item number, total item area, and individual item size during numerical discrimination learning in pigeons and people. Critically, no constraints were placed on which aspects of the stimuli were likely to control discrimination behavior. We surprisingly found that the nonnumerical properties of item size and area came to exert greater behavioral control than did the number of items-for both pigeons and people. The similar response patterns of pigeons and people suggest that common cognitive processes may participate in these two different species.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Nonnumerical stimuli exert surprisingly strong behavioral control in an unconstrained numerical discrimination learning task
- Creators
- Francisca Diaz - University of IowaEdward A Wasserman - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, United States. Electronic address: ed-wasserman@uiowa.edu
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cognition, Vol.274, 106552
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cognition.2026.106552
- PMID
- 41990648
- NLM abbreviation
- Cognition
- ISSN
- 0010-0277
- eISSN
- 1873-7838
- Publisher
- ELSEVIER
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/14/2026
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9985153358602771
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