Possible interactions between visual and tactile memories in octopus

Abstract
Octopuses were trained first with a tactile and then a visual discrimination and the two sets of memories were then made to conflict. A negative visual memory (white) blocks the effect of a previously learned positive tactile memory (either rough or smooth) but only in the period immediately after seeing the colour. There is no longer‐term effect on the positive tactile memory. A positive visual memory (black) was not able to reverse a previously learned negative tactile memory (rough). A negative tactile memory (rough) had no effect on previously established positive visual memories (black or white). The only interactions between the visual and tactile memories are a result of the sharing of final common paths to the arms. There is no good evidence of second order conditioning under these circumstances.

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