Dr Jose Prados, Lecturer in Psychology

Research

Full list of publications

My current research interests lay in the following areas:

Spatial learning: my interest is to explore the power of standard associative learning theories explaining the ability of organisms to locate goals in new and familiar environments. My research has explored the role of associative processes in landmark and geometry learning.

Relevant Publications:

• Prados, J., Alvarez, B., & Reynolds, G. (2011). Spatial integration in human geometry learning. Behavioural Brain Research, 224, 297-304.

• Redhead, E.S., & Prados, J. (2012). Preexposure effects in spatial learning. In N. M. Seel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer.

• Prados, J. (2011). Blocking and overshadowing in human geometry learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 37, 121-126. pdf

• Prados, J., Sansa, J., & Artigas, A.A. (2008). Partial reinforcement effects on learning and extinction of place preferences in the water maze. Learning and Behavior, 36, 311-318.

• Prados, J., Artigas, A.A., & Sansa, J. (2007). Preexposure effects in the spatial domain: Dissociation between latent inhibition and perceptual learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 33, 115-123.

 Peceptual learning: My research has been focused on how associative learning theories can be used to account for the ability of organisms to discriminate between similar stimuli or situations.

Relevant Publications:

• Artigas, A. A., Sansa, J., & Prados, J. (in press). Distractor effects upon habituation of complex stimuli. Behavioural Processes.

• Artigas, A. A., Contel, D. M., Sansa, J., & Prados, J. (2011). Salience modulation in serial pre-exposure: Implcations for perceptual learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behaviour Processes, 38, 66-73.

• Contel, D.M., Sansa, J., Artigas, A.A., & Prados, J. (2011). Salience modulation and associative inhibition interaction: Short but not long exposure to similar stimuli protetcs the salience of the unique elements. Behavioural Processes, 86, 21-29.

• Artigas, A.A., Sansa, J., Blair, C.A.J., Hall, G., & Prados, J. (2006). Enhanced discrimination between flavor stimuli: Roles of salience modulation and inhibition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32, 173-177.

• Artigas, A.A., Sansa, J., & Prados, J. (2006). The Espinet and the perceptual learning effects in flavour aversion conditioning: Do they depend on a common inhibitory mechanism? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 59 (3), 471-481.

Learning in invertebrates: Another very exciting research field that has attracted my attention during the last years is the investigation of learning and memory in invertebrates. This research can be taken to be preliminary for more ambitious research on the neuronal and molecular basis of learning and memory, and could be relevant for the development of animal models of human diseases (schizophrenia, addiction...).

Relevant Publications:

• Davidson, C., Prados, J., Gibson, C. L., Young, A. M. J., Barnes, D., Sherlock, R., & Hutchinson, C. V. (2011). Shedding light on photosensitive behaviour in brown planaria (Dugesia Tigrina). Perception, 40, 743-746.