Zentall, T. R. (1999).
Support for a theory of memory for event duration must distinguish between test-trial ambiguity and actual memory loss.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
72, 467-472.
Staddon and Higa's (1999) trace-strength theory of timing and
memory for event duration can account for pigeons' bias to
"choose short" when retention intervals are introduced
and to "choose long" when, following training with a
fixed retention interval, retention intervals are shortened.
However, it does not account for the failure of pigeons to choose
short when the intertrial interval is distinct from the retention
interval. That finding suggests that stimulus generalization (or
ambiguity) between the intertrial interval and the retention
interval may result in an effect that has been attributed to
memory loss. Such artifacts must be eliminated before a theory of
memory for event duration can be adequately tested.
Key words: temporal discrimination, delayed matching, conditional
discrimination, instructional failure, confusion, key peck,
pigeons