Spatial S-S Proximity in Human Discrimination Learning

The effect of proximity of cues was studied with 2 pairs of visual stimuli in transfer from spatial to non-spatial discrimination learning tasks, with 225 Ss. The prediction that proximity promotes positive transfer was confirmed with both successive and simultaneous viewing of stimuli, with temporal and spatial proximity, and with reduced viewing time. The hypothesis that the spatial proximity effect is mediated by background stimuli was confirmed in the further finding that variation in background gives the same result as spatial non-proximity. The temporal proximity effect was ascribed to temporal S-R contiguity as a variable. © 1966 American Psychological Association