Failure to transfer or train a numerical discrimination using sequential visual stimuli in rats

.We previously re~rted th~t ra~s wer~ able to discriminate among two, three, and four sequentu~lly presented auditory stimuli (DaVIS & Albert, 1986). In the present paper, we describe our failure to transfer this numerical discrimination to visual stimuli and to establish the same discn.nnnation. using visual sti.muli i~ naive animals. These negative results conflict with sporadic evidence of lI~termodal ~audito~-Vlsual) transfer of numerical discriminations, although all such r~ports have involved Simpler dichotomous (many vs. few) requirements. We believe the relative diff!.cu~tyof our task may have confi~ed processing to the single salient modality (audition) in which It was taught, and precluded evidence of abstract learning by rendering intermodal transfer unattainable.