Hebbian learning for olfactory sequences.

Abstract

The present paper explores the generality of the Hebb repetition effect to the learning of olfactory sequences in order to assess commonality of memory functioning across sensory modalities. Participants completed a serial-order reconstruction task comprising sequences of four olfactory stimuli. Following presentation of each sequence, participants were re-presented with the odours and were required to reconstruct their order of presentation. Surreptitious re-presentation of the repeated sequence occurred on every third trial. This order reconstruction task produced a serial-position function comprising recency only for both the non-repeated and the repeated sequences. Importantly, serial-order reconstruction for the repeated odour sequence produced improved performance for that sequence compared to the non-repeated sequences. This observation of a Hebb repetition effect for olfactory sequences further supports the proposition that sequential learning can operate amodally.