Cue-producing behavior in the Capuchin monkey during reversal, extinction, acquisition, and overtraining.

Thomas et al. (1968) watched capuchin monkeys during a two-choice discrimination game.

The monkeys could press a key that lit up the correct choice again—an extra “look” response.

The team tracked these cue-producing presses through acquisition, overtraining, reversal, and extinction phases.

Monkeys that blasted the cue key fastest also flipped to the new correct choice fastest.

Cue pressing spiked when the rules changed and dropped after long, predictable training.

Extra observing acts like a self-check that speeds up learning the new discrimination.

KELLEHER et al. (1963) saw bigger extinction bursts after more continuous reinforcement; R’s monkeys show the same burst but as cue-producing responses, not lever presses.

Glynn (1970) found longer training per reversal speeds later reversals in pigeons; R adds that spontaneous observing rises during those early, shaky reversals.

Corrigan et al. (1998) saw pigeons stare at the hopper when payoff timing turned uncertain; R’s capuchins stare at the stimuli when stimulus-reward links turn uncertain—same uncertainty reflex, different species.

When a learner starts making extra checks—peeking at stimuli, re-reading, re-scanning—treat it as fuel, not waste. Let the child flip flashcards again or re-hit the preview button; these redundant looks predict faster rule switches. You can also probe: if observing drops, the learner may have nailed the discrimination; if it surges, a reversal is coming and extra trials or prompts may help.