Chamizo, V. D.
Victoria Díez Chamizo

Professor
Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
& Institute of Neuroscience
Universitat de Barcelona

Short Biography


I completed my BA, MA and PhD degrees in Madrid (at the Autonomous University of Madrid) and I was a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham (UK) on two occasions and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge (UK) several times before becoming a Lecturer and then a Professor at the University of Barcelona (Catalunya, Spain).

I have been the President of the “Spanish Society for Comparative Psychology” -SEPC in Spanish- in 2003 and in 2016, also the President and then vice-President of the “Spanish Society of Experimental Psychology” -SEPEX in Spanish- between 2004 and 2008. I have also served as Program Chair for Division 6 (Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) in the 2012 meeting.

I retired in 2018 and was appointed Honorary Professor by the University of Barcelona.

Research Interests


Most of my work is about spatial cognition and associative learning. Specifically, I am interested in studying the conditions, basic effects and mechanisms responsible for the acquisition of knowledge about spatial location in rats and also in humans.

My research for the past 30 years has been mainly in collaboration with Professor N.J. Mackintosh†, from Cambridge University (UK), as well as with other colleagues and students from the Universitat de Barcelona. This joint research developed into a research group, which I co-ordinate, whose name is “Learning and Cognition: A comparative approach” (http://www.gracec.info).

The main results of our work have been the demonstration that the basic phenomena of Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning (like blocking, overshadowing, latent inhibition, perceptual learning, changes in attention to relevant and irrelevant cues ...) also appear when working with strictly spatial tasks (both in the elevated maze and in the Morris water maze).

In the last decade, we have also shown that male and female rats can use different strategies to solve navigation tasks (a finding often called “qualitative sex differences”), being crucial the distinction between what they learn and what they prefer (i.e., learning vs. performance). In this line of research we have also measured age effects in our animals. Specifically, a change in the behaviour of female rats as they grow older.

At present I continue to investigate these issues, fundamentally qualitative sex differences in a navigation task while acquiring knowledge based on geometrical and non-geometrical information simultaneously. Standard associative theories can explain most of our results.

Publications


The 10 most outstanding publications in the last years


Chamizo, V. D. (2023). El necesario aumento de la mujer en disciplinas STEM y la mejora de sus habilidades espaciales. Encuentros Multidisciplinares, 75, 1-11.

Este artículo ofrece una visión general de la problemática de la brecha de sexo/género en las disciplinas STEM (en castellano, carreras CTIM -siglas de «Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas»), así como en las habilidades espaciales, más concretamente de la prueba de rotación mental (RM), tan relacionadas. Se destacan algunas medidas adoptadas en varios países con la finalidad de reducir dicha diferencia en estas disciplinas. El trabajo hace hincapié en algunas “intervenciones” concretas que ya han demostrado ser claramente efectivas: en la infancia, en la adolescencia y también en la edad adulta. El manuscrito puede leerse como continuación de un trabajo anterior publicado en esta revista (Chamizo, 2022).

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Aguilar-Latorre, A., Romera-Nicolás, V., Gimeno, E., Chamizo, V.D. (2022). Previous experience seems crucial to eliminate the sex gap in geometry learning when solving a navigation task in rats (Rattus norvegicus). Frontiers in Psychology, section Cognition, 13:838407.

There is much evidence, both in humans and rodents, that while navigating males tend to use geometric information whereas females rely more on landmarks. The present work attempts to alter the geometry bias in female rats. In Experiment 1 three groups of female rats were trained in a triangular-shaped pool to find a hidden platform, whose location was defined in terms of two sources of information, a landmark outside the pool and a particular corner of the pool. On a subsequent test trial with the triangular pool and no landmark, females with prior experience with two other pool shapes -with a kite-shaped pool and with a rectangular-shaped pool- (Group Long Previous Experience, LPE), were significantly more accurate than control rats without such prior experience (Group No Previous Experience, NPE). Rats with a short previous experience -with the rectangular-shaped pool only- (Group Short Previous Experience, SPE), did not differ from Group NPE. These results suggest that the previous experience with different shaped-pools could counteract the prominence of the landmark cue in female rats. Then, Experiment 2A directly compared the performance of LPE males and females of Experiment 1, although conducting several test trials (i.e., shape, landmark, and preference). The differences between males and females disappeared in the three tests. Moreover, in a final test trial both males and females could identify the correct corner in an incomplete pool by its local, instead of global, properties. Finally, Experiment 2B compared the performance of NPE rats, males and females, of Experiment 1. On the test trial with the triangular pool and no landmark, males were significantly more accurate than females. The results are explained in the framework of selective attention.

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Chamizo, V. D., Urrutia, M. S., Sanchez, O., Calabrese, M. D., & Riccio, O. (2020). Geometry learning while navigating: The importance of task difficulty and sex differences. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 46, 470-483.

Cheng (1986) trained male rats to search for food in a rectangular arena which also contained distinctive visual patterns. He found that the rats used mainly the geometric framework of the box itself to find the food, and claimed that geometrical information is processed in a specialised module, which is independent of feature information. The aim of the present set of experiments is to check if the previous results with male rats and an appetitive task, could be extended to an aversive task, while using both, male and female rats and three-dimensional landmarks. In Experiments 1 and 2 rats were trained in a rectangular-shaped pool to find a hidden platform whose location was defined in terms of two sources of information, landmarks of different salience (less salient in Experiment 1, more salient in Experiment 2) outside the pool and a particular corner of the pool. The results showed that both males and females used mainly the particular corner of the pool, supporting Cheng?s suggestion. In addition, in the two experiments, what the rats learned with respect to the landmarks was negligible. Experiment 3 used a more difficult triangular pool in addition to the rectangular pool. The results revealed sex differences in the triangular pool but not in the easier rectangular pool. These results suggest that task difficulty is a factor when it comes to finding sex differences in rats in spatial tasks.

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Chamizo, V.D., Torres, M.N., Rodríguez, C.A., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2019 ). What makes a landmark effective in adolescent and adult rats?: Sex and age differences in a navigation task. Learning and Behavior, 47, 156-165.

In three experiments rats of different age were trained in a circular pool to find a hidden platform whose location was defined in terms of a single a landmark, a cylinder outside the pool. Following training two main components of the landmark, its shape and pattern, were tested individually. Experiment 1 was with adolescent and adult rats (1a, males; 1b, females). Adult rats always learned faster than adolescent animals. On test trials interesting tendencies were found, mainly one favouring males on the shape test trial and another favouring females on the pattern test trial. Then Experiment 2 was conducted only with adolescent rats and males and females did not differ when learning the task. However on test trials, males learned more about the landmark shape component than about the landmark pattern component, while females learned equally about the two components of the landmark. Finally, Experiment 3 was conducted only with adult rats and again males and females did not differ when learning the task. However on test trials, males learned equally about the two components of the landmark (shape and pattern), although females learned more about the landmark pattern component than about the landmark shape component. This set of experiments supports the claim that male and female rats can learn rather different things about a landmark that signals the location of the platform, age being a critical variable.

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Sansa, J., Aznar-Casanova, J.A., Rodríguez, C.A., & Chamizo, V.D. (2019). Generalization Decrement and Not Overshadowing by Associative Competition Among Pairs of Landmarks in a Navigation Task with humans. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72, 251-262 .

In three experiments a virtual preparation for humans of the Morris water task (VMWT) was used. Experiment 1 established that four landmarks were of similar salience. Then in Experiments 2 and 3 participants were trained to locate a hidden platform in the presence or either two or four of the previous landmarks. In Experiment 2 one pair of groups was trained with four visual landmarks spaced at equal intervals around the edge of the pool, while a second pair was trained with two landmarks only, either relatively close to or far from the hidden platform. After training, a reciprocal overshadowing effect was found: on a test without the platform with two landmarks only (either close to or far from the platform position), the participants trained with four landmarks spent less time in the platform quadrant than those trained with only two. Finally Experiment 3 showed that at least participants trained with two landmarks relatively close to the platform and then tested with four also performed worse on test than those trained and tested with two close landmarks only. This result suggests that generalization decrement, rather than associative competition, could provide a sufficient explanation for the overshadowing observed in Experiment 2 in the proximal groups. The present set of experiments extend, although only partially, the generalization decrement results documented in rats (Chamizo, Rodríguez, Espinet, & Mackintosh, 2012) to human participants.

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Lugo, F., Torres, M.N., & Chamizo, V.D. (2018). Two strategies used to solve a navigation task: A different use of the hippocampus by males and females? A preliminary study in rats. Psicológica, 39, 319-339.

There is abundant research (both in rodents and in humans) showing that males and females often use different types of information in spatial navigation. Males prefer geometry as a source of information, whereas females tend to focus on landmarks (which are often near to a goal objects). However, when considering the role of the hippocampus, the research focuses primarily on males only. In the present study, based on Rodríguez, Torres, Mackintosh, and Chamizo?s (2010, Experiment 2) navigation protocol, we conducted two experiments, one with males and another with females, in order to tentatively evaluate the role of the dorsal hippocampus in the acquisition of two tasks: one based on landmark learning and the alternate one on local pool-geometry learning. Both when landmark learning and when geometry learning, Sham male rats learned significantly faster than Lesion male animals. This was not the case with female rats whith geometry learning. These results suggest that the dorsal hippocampus could play an important role in males only.

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J.B. Trobalon & V.D. Chamizo, Eds. (2016). Associative Learning and Cognition. Homage to Professor N. J. Mackintosh. In Memoriam (1935-2015). Edicions Universitat de Barcelona (Tributes Collection).

The present volume is a homage to Professor N. J. Mackintosh (1935-2015), an outstanding academic and a dear friend and colleague to many of the participants, as a final tribute after being awarded the Gold Medal by the University of Barcelona (November 2015). Although the topics of the chapters in this book have been freely chosen by the authors (Geoffrey Hall, Anthony Dickinson, John M. Pearce, Ian McLaren, Paula J. Durlach, Irina Baetu to mention a few), as well as the type of contribution (either an empirical paper, a review, or an application), they concentrate on issues that are crucial to the understanding of the basic principles of attention and associative learning (both Pavlovian and instrumental), in humans and also in other animals. In other words, to unravel the nature of conditioning, with a special emphasis on perceptual learning. The final chapter, by Gabriel Ruiz, addresses the importance of the contribution by Professor Mackintosh to the renaissance of animal psychology in Spain, where the Spanish Society for Comparative Psychology (SEPC in Spanish) played a relevant role

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Chamizo, V.D., Rodríguez, C.A., Sánchez, J., & Mármol, F. (2016). Sex Differences after Environmental Enrichment and Physical Exercise in Rats when Solving a Navigation Task. Learning and Behavior, 44, 227 - 238.

The effects of early environmental enrichment (EE) and voluntary wheel running on the preference for using a landmark or pool geometry when solving a simple spatial task in adult male and female rats were assessed. After weaning, rats were housed in same-sex pairs in enriched or standard cages (EE and control groups) for two and a half months. Then the rats were trained in a triangular-shaped pool to find a hidden platform whose location was defined in terms of these two sources of information, a landmark outside the pool and a particular corner of the pool. As expected, enriched rats reached the platform faster than control animals, and males and females did not differ. Enriched rats also performed better on subsequent test trials without the platform with the cues individually presented (either pool geometry or landmark). However, on a preference test without the platform, a clear sex difference was found: Females spent more time in an area of the pool that corresponded to the landmark, whereas males spent more time in the distinctive corner of the pool. The present EE protocol did not alter females’ preference for the landmark cue. The results agree with the claim that environmental enrichment is a consequence of a reduced anxiety response (measured by thigmotaxis) during cognitive testing. A possible implication of ancestral selection pressures is discussed

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Rodríguez, Clara A., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (2013). Do hormonal changes that appear at the onset of puberty determine the strategies used by female rats when solving a navigation task?. Hormones and Behavior, 64, 122-135.

The present set of experiments evaluated the possibility that the hormonal changes that appear at the onset of puberty might influence the strategies used by female rats to solve a spatial navigation task. In each experiment, rats were trained in a triangular shaped pool to find a hidden platform which maintained a constant relationship with two sources of information, one individual landmark and one corner of the pool with a distinctive geometry. Then, three test trials were conducted without the platform in counterbalanced order. In one, both the geometry and the landmark were simultaneously presented, although in different spatial positions, in order to measure the rats preferences. In the remaining test trials what the rats had learned about the two sources of information was measured by presenting them individually. Experiment 1, with 60-day old rats, revealed a clear sex difference, thus replicating a previous finding (Rodríguez et al., 2010): females spent more time in an area of the pool that corresponded to the landmark, whereas males spent more time in the distinctive corner of the pool even though the remaining tests revealed that both sexes had learned about the two sources of information. In Experiment 2, 30-day old female rats, unlike adults, preferred to solve the task using the geometry information rather than the landmark (although juvenile males behaved in exactly the same way as adults). Experiment 3 directly compared the performance of 90- and 30-day old females and found that while the adult females preferred to solve the task using the landmark, the reverse was true in juvenile females. Experiment 4 compared ovariectomized and sham operated females and found that while sham operated females preferred to solve the task using the landmark, the reverse was true in ovariectomized females. Finally, Experiment 5 directly compared adult males and females, juvenile males and females, and ovariectomized females and found that adult males, juvenile males and females, and ovariectomized females did not differ among them in their preferred cue, but they all differed from adult females

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Chamizo, V.D., Rodríguez, C.A., Espinet, A., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2012). Generalization decrement and not overshadowing by associative competition among pairs of landmarks in a navigation task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 38, 255-256.

When they are trained in a Morris water maze to find a hidden platform, whose location is defined by a number of equally spaced visual landmarks round the circumference of the pool, rats are equally able to find the platform when tested with any two of the landmarks (Prados, & Trobalon, 1998; Rodrigo, Chamizo, McLaren, & Mackintosh, 1997). This suggests that none of the landmarks was completely overshadowed by any of the others. In Experiment 1 one pair of groups was trained with four equally salient visual landmarks spaced at equal intervals around the edge of the pool, while a second pair was trained with two landmarks only, either relatively close to or far from the hidden platform. After extensive training, both male and female rats showed a reciprocal overshadowing effect: on a test with two landmarks only (either close to or far from the platform), rats trained with four landmarks spent less time in the platform quadrant than those trained with only two. Experiment 2 showed that animals trained with two landmarks and then tested with four also performed worse on test than those trained and tested with two landmarks only. This suggests that generalization decrement, rather than associative competition, provides a sufficient explanation for the overshadowing observed in Experiment 1. Experiment 3 provided a within-experiment replication of the results of Experiments 1 and 2. Finally, Experiment 4 showed that rats trained with a configuration of two landmarks learn their identity

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All publications


Chamizo, V.D., Bourdin, P., Mendez-Lopez, M. and Santamaria, J.J. (2023). Editorial: From paper and pencil tasks to virtual reality interventions: improving spatial abilities in girls and women. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 4:1286689.

Chamizo, V. D. (2023). El necesario aumento de la mujer en disciplinas STEM y la mejora de sus habilidades espaciales. Encuentros Multidisciplinares, 75, 1-11.

Aguilar-Latorre, A., Romera-Nicolás, V., Gimeno, E., Chamizo, V.D. (2022). Previous experience seems crucial to eliminate the sex gap in geometry learning when solving a navigation task in rats (Rattus norvegicus). Frontiers in Psychology, section Cognition, 13:838407.

Chamizo, V. D. (2022). Cuando el sexo sí importa: la cognición espacial. Encuentros Multidisciplinares, 71, 1-9.

Chamizo, V.D. (2021). Las mujeres se orientan peor que los hombres: ¿mito o realidad ?. Mente y Cerebro, 107, 28-35.

Gimeno, E., Rodrigo, T. & Chamizo, V.D. (2021). Navigation with two landmarks relatively far from a goal in rats (Rattus norvegicus): The role of landmark salience. Learning and Motivation.

Civile, C., Chamizo, V.D., Artigas, A.A., and McLaren, I.P.L. (2020). Directional Cues and Landmark Configurations: The effect of rotating one set of landmarks relative to another. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 46, 28-39.

Chamizo, V. D., Urrutia, M. S., Sanchez, O., Calabrese, M. D., & Riccio, O. (2020). Geometry learning while navigating: The importance of task difficulty and sex differences. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 46, 470-483.

Sansa, J., Aznar-Casanova, J.A., Rodríguez, C.A., & Chamizo, V.D. (2019). Generalization Decrement and Not Overshadowing by Associative Competition Among Pairs of Landmarks in a Navigation Task with humans. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72, 251-262 .

Chamizo, V.D., Torres, M.N., Rodríguez, C.A., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2019 ). What makes a landmark effective in adolescent and adult rats?: Sex and age differences in a navigation task. Learning and Behavior, 47, 156-165.

Chamizo, V.D. and Rodrigo, T. (2019). Spatial orientation. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. New York: Springer.

Lugo, F., Torres, M.N., & Chamizo, V.D. (2018). Two strategies used to solve a navigation task: A different use of the hippocampus by males and females? A preliminary study in rats. Psicológica, 39, 319-339.

Chamizo, V.D. & Rodrigo, T. (2018). Rodentia navigation. In J. Vonk & T.K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. New York: Springer (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_804-1).

Chamizo, V. D. y Torres, M.N. (2017). Aprendizaje espacial y diferencias de sexo: variables a tener en cuenta (Capítulo 5). En J. Nieto & R. Bernal Gamboa (Eds.), Estudios Contemporáneos en Cognición Comparada. Cromo Editores S.A. de C.V. (México). ISBN: 978-607-02-9693-2.

Mesa, V., Osorio, A., Ballesta, S., Marimon, J.M. & Chamizo, V.D. (2017). Geometric vs. non-geometric information: Explaining male rats? selective preferences in a navigation task. Learning and Motivation, 60, 23-33.

Mármol, F., Sánchez, J., Torres, M.N., & Chamizo, V.D. (2017). Environmental enrichment in the absence of wheel running produces beneficial behavioural and anti-oxidative effects in rats. Behavioral Processes, 144, 66-71.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodríguez, C.A., Sánchez, J., & Mármol, F. (2016). Sex Differences after Environmental Enrichment and Physical Exercise in Rats when Solving a Navigation Task. Learning and Behavior, 44, 227 - 238.

J.B. Trobalon & V.D. Chamizo, Eds. (2016). Associative Learning and Cognition. Homage to Professor N. J. Mackintosh. In Memoriam (1935-2015). Edicions Universitat de Barcelona (Tributes Collection).

Manchón, A., Torres, M.N., Rodrigo, T., & Chamizo, V.D. (2016). Successive contrast effects in a navigation task with rats. In J.B. Trobalon & V.D. Chamizo (Eds). Associative Learning and Cognition. Homage to Professor N. J. Mackintosh. In Memoriam (1935-2015). Edicions Universitat de Barcelona (Colección Homenajes). Pp. 157-176.

Mármol, F., Rodríguez, C.A., Sánchez, J., & Chamizo, V.D. (2015). Anti-oxidative effects produced by environmental enrichment in hippocampal and cerebral cortex of male and female rats. Brain Research, 1613, 120-129.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodríguez, C.A., Torres, I., Torres, M.N., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2014). What makes a landmark effective?: Sex differences in a navigation task. Learning and Behavior, 42, 348 - 356.

Civile, C., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2014). The effect of disrupting configural information on rats performance in the Morris water maze. Learning and Motivation, 48, 55-66.

Rodrigo, T., Gimeno, E., Ayguasanosa, M., & Chamizo, V.D. (2014). Navigation with two landmarks in rats (Rattus norvegicus): the role of landmark salience. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 128, 378-386.

Torres, M.N., Rodríguez, C.A., Chamizo, V.D., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2014). Landmark vs. geometry learning: Explaining female rats selective preference for a landmark. Psicológica, 35, 81-100.

Rodríguez, Clara A., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (2013). Do hormonal changes that appear at the onset of puberty determine the strategies used by female rats when solving a navigation task?. Hormones and Behavior, 64, 122-135.

Rodríguez, C.A. & Chamizo, V.D. (2013). Male advantage in geometry learning? A preliminary study in rats. Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento, 5, 30-39.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodríguez, C.A., Espinet, A., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2012). Generalization decrement and not overshadowing by associative competition among pairs of landmarks in a navigation task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 38, 255-256.

Crespo, P., Rodríguez, C,A., & Chamizo, V.D. (2012). Learning in a navigation task: The role of salience of pairs of landmarks and sex differences. Anuario de Psicología, 42, 361-376.

Chamizo, V.D. & Rodríguez, C.A. (2012). Qualitative sex differences in spatial learning. In S. McGeown (Ed.). Psychology of Gender Differences, Hauppauge NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Pp. 267-281.

Espinet, A., Caramés, J.M., & Chamizo, V.D. (2011). Order effects after prolonged blocked preexposure to two compound flavors. Behavioural Processes, 88, 94-100.

Chamizo, V.D., Artigas, A.A., Sansa, J., & Banterla, F. (2011). Gender differences in a virtual Morris water task: the role of distance to a goal. Behavioural Processes, 88, 20-26.

Rodríguez, C.A., Chamizo, V.D., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2011). Overshadowing and Blocking between Landmark Learning and Shape Learning: the Importance of Sex Differences. Learning and Behavior, 39, 324-335.

Rodríguez, C.A., Aguilar, R., & Chamizo, V.D. (2011). Landmark learning in a navigation task is not affected by the female rats estrus cycle. Psicológica, 32, 279-299.

Rodríguez, Clara A.; Torres, Angélica; Mackintosh, N. J.; Chamizo, V. D. (2010). Sex differences in the strategies used by rats to solve a navigation task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 36, 395-401.

Vidal, J. & Chamizo, V.D. (2010). The conditioned stimulus elicits taste aversion, but not sickness behavior, in conditioned mice. NeuroImmunoModulation, 17, 325-332.

Sansa, J., Rodrigo, T., Santamaría, J., Manteiga, R., & Chamizo, V.D. (2009). Conditioned inhibition in the spatial domain. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 35, 566-577.

Forcano, L., Santamaría, J., Mackintosh, N.J., & Chamizo, V.D. (2009). Single landmark learning: sex differences in a navigation task. Learning and Motivation, 40, 46-61.

Vidal, J. & Chamizo, V.D. (2009). Taste aversion conditioning, but not immunosuppression conditioning, occurs under partial water deprivation. The Journal of General Psychology, 136 (I), 71-90.

Sansa, J., Krug, I., Chamizo, V.D., & Fernández-Aranda, F. (2009). Is contextual-potentiated eating dependent on caloric density of food?. Psicológica,30, 201-214.

Noguera, M., Grau, M., Peris, J.M., Barbería, I., & Chamizo, V.D. (2008). Similarity and discrimination learning in humans. Behavioural Processes, 79, 114-119.

Grau-Sánchez, M. Noguera, M. Díaz-Barrero, J.L., Chamizo, V.D., & Rodrigo, T. (2008). An application of an associative learning model to Morris pool with a single landmark. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 56, 212-217.

Rodrigo, T., Artigas, A.A., & Chamizo, V.D. (2007). Aprendizaje y cognición espacial: de Tolman a Morris (Spatial learning and cognition: from Tolman to Morris). In O. Pineño, M.A. Vadillo and H. Matute (Eds.). Psicología del Aprendizaje, (The Psychology of Learning). Badajoz: Abecedario. Pp. 177-204.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodrigo, T., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2006). Spatial integration with rats. Learning and Behavior, 34, 348-354.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodrigo, T., Peris, J.M., & Grau, M. (2006). The influence of both size and distance from a goal of individual landmarks in a navigation task: an additive effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32, 339-344.

Rodrigo, T., Sansa, J., Baradad, P., & Chamizo, V.D. (2006). Generalization gradients in a navigation task with rats. Learning and Motivation, 37, 247-268.

Chamizo, V.D., Manteiga, R.D., Rodrigo, T., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2006). Competition between landmarks in spatial learning: the role of proximity to the goal. Behavioural Processes, 71, 59-65.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodrigo, T., Peris, J.M., & Grau, M. (2006). The influence of landmark salience in a navigation task: an additive effect between its components. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32, 339-344.

Blanco, E., Santamaría, J.J., Chamizo, V.D., & Rodrigo, T. (2006). Peak and area shift effects in the spatial domain. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy (monographic issue: Animal Learning and Cognition), 6(3), 161-177.

Chamizo, V.D., Rodrigo, T., & Mackintosh, N.J. (2006). Spatial integration with rats. Learning and Behavior, 34, 348-354.

Rodrigo, T., Arall, M., & Chamizo, V.D. (2005). Blocking and unblocking in a navigation task. Psicológica, 26, 229-241.

Artigas, A.A., Aznar-Casanova, J.A., & Chamizo, V.D. (2005). Effects of absolute proximity between landmark and platform in a virtual Morris pool task with humans. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 18, 224-238.

Chamizo, V.D. & Rodrigo, T. (2004). Effect of absolute spatial proximity between a landmark and a goal. Learning and Motivation, 35, 102-114.

Chamizo, V.D,. Rodrigo, T. & Manteiga, R.D. (2004). Navegación y mapas cognitivos: un análisis de los estímulos implicados avala su naturaleza asociativa (Navigation and cognitive maps: an analysis of the stimuli involved revealing its associative nature). In R. Pellón (Ed.). Inteligencia y aprendizaje (Intelligence and learning). Barcelona: Ariel (Pp. 389-407).

Chamizo, V.D., Aznar-Casanova, J.A., & Artigas, A.A. (2003). Human overshadowing in a virtual pool: Simple guidance is a good competitor against locale learning. Learning and Motivation, 34, 262-281.

Chamizo, V.D. (2003). Acquisition of knowledge about spatial location: Assessing the generality of the mechanism of learning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 56B, 107-119.

Mackintosh, N.J., Chamizo, V.D. (2002). Preface. En/In N.J. Mackintosh & V.D. Chamizo [Eds.]. Spatial learning and cognition. Psicológica, 23, 1.

Chamizo, V.D. (2002). Spatial learning: Conditions and basic effects. En/In N.J. Mackintosh & V.D. Chamizo (Eds.). Spatial learning and cognition. Psicológica, 23, 33-57.

Artigas, A. A., Chamizo, V. D., & Peris, J. M. (2001). Inhibitory associations between neutral stimuli: A comparative approach. Animal Learning and Behavior, 29(1), 46-65.

Manteiga, R.D., Chamizo, V.D. (2001). Aprendizaje elemental a pesar de entrenamiento configuracional en una tarea de navegación [Elemental learning in spite of configural training in a navigation task]. Psicológica, 22, 235-252.

Sánchez-Moreno, J., Rodrigo, T., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1999). Overshadowing in the spatial domain. Animal Learning and Behavior, 27, 391-398.

Prados, J., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1999). Latent Inhibition and Perceptual Learning in a swimming pool navigation task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 25, 37-44.

Chamizo, V.D. (1998). La lluita pels drets dels psicòlegs que treballem amb animals [The stuggle for the rights of psychologists who work with animals]. Full Informatiu Col.legi Oficial de Psicologia de Catalunya, 100, 2.

Rodrigo, T., Chamizo, V.D., McLaren, I.P.L., Mackintosh, N.J. (1997). Blocking in the spatial domain. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 23, 110-118.

Chamizo, V.D. (1996). Ausencia de especificidad contextual de la inhibición latente en la aversión condicionada [Absence of contextual specificity of latent inhibition in conditioned taste aversion]. Psicológica, 17, 307-321.

Sansa, J., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1996). Aprendizaje perceptivo en discriminaciones espaciales [Perceptual learning in spatial discriminations]. Psicológica, 17, 279-295.

Álvarez Artigas, A., Chamizo, V.D. (1994). Efectos de la preexposición a un sabor más o menos complejo en la adquisición de una aversión y en la generalización a un segundo sabor [Effects of pre-exposure to a more or less complex flavor in the acquisition of an aversion and in the generalization to a second flavor]. Psicológica, 15, 85-99.

Rodrigo, T., Chamizo, V.D., McLaren, I.P.L., Mackintosh, N.J. (1994). Effects of preexposure to the same or different pattern of extra-maze cues on subsequent extra-maze discrimination. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47B, 15-26.

March, J., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1992). Reciprocal overshadowing between intra-maze and extra-maze cues. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 45B, 49-63.

Trobalón, J.B., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1992). Role of context in perceptual learning in maze discriminations. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 44B, 57-73.

Chamizo, V.D. (1992). Comparación de dos procedimientos de preexposición en tareas discriminativas en un laberinto [Comparison of two pre-exposure procedures in maze discrimination tasks. Psicológica, 13, 1-17.

Trobalón, J.B., Chamizo, V.D. (1991). Fracaso en replicar el efecto de potenciación con un diseño intrasujeto [Failure to replicate the potentiation effect with an intrasubject design]. Psicológica, 2, 195-213.

Trobalon, J.B., Sansa, J., Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1991). Perceptual learning in maze discriminations. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 43B, 389-402.

Chamizo, V.D. (1990). Ratas en el laberinto: memoria espacial y mapas cognitivos [Rats in a maze: spatial memory and congitive maps]. En/In L. Aguado (Ed.). Cognición Comparada [Comparative Cognition]. Madrid: Alianza Universidad. Pp. 177-199.

Chamizo, V.D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1989). Latent learning and latent inhibition in maze discriminations. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 41B, 21-31.

Chamizo, V.D. (1986). Efectos de una única presentación de un estímulo saliente según un procedimiento estimular o de respuesta, en una tarea de evitación pasiva [Effects of a single presentation of a salient stimulus according to a stimulus or response procedure, in a passive avoidance task]. Anuario de Psicología, 35, 139-159.

Díez-Chamizo, V., Sterio, D., Mackintosh, N.J. (1985). Blocking and overshadowing between intra-maze and extra-maze cues: a test of the independence of locale and guidance learning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 37B, 235-253.

Díez-Chamizo, V. (1984). Stress-induced breakdown of an appetitive discrimination (a replication). Behaviour Analysis Letters, 10, 199.

Díez-Chamizo, V., Blackman, D.E., Thomas, G.V. (1981). Effects of the conditioned suppression procedure on an operant discrimination. Behaviour Analysis Letters, 1, 267-274.

Thomas, G.V., Díez-Chamizo, V. (1981). Efectos de la hipótesis de marca en una tarea de evitación pasiva con demora en la presentación del EI. Anuario de Psicología, 25, 35-72.

Carrobles, J.A.I.; Díez-Chamizo, V.D. (1981). Evaluación de conductas ansiosas [Assessment of stressful behaviours]. ]. En/In R. Fernández Ballesteros & J.A.I. Carrobles (Eds). Evaluación Conductual [Behavioural Assessment]. Madrid: Pirámide. Pp. 425-453.

Chamizo, V. D. ((en revisión)). Aumentar el n. Encuentros Multidisciplinares.

Chamizo, V. D. ((en revisión)). Aumentar el n. Encuentros Multidisciplinares.

Chamizo, V. D. ((en revisión)). Aumentar el n. Encuentros Multidisciplinares.


Press


Since I retired, the sex/gender gap in the so-called STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), is the issue that interests me most. In Spain, the percentage of women working in these subjects is around 13%. Can this gap be avoided, or at least mitigated? Multiple research has shown that improving spatial skills, especially mental rotation, helps to reduce this difference between men and women, but unfortunately spatial skills are not addressed in the school curriculum. How is it possible that appropriate interventions are not being implemented either in school or in secondary education? Other countries are already doing this, with good results!

One of my current objectives is to make this lack, this problem, visible.


Interview at Fulls d'Enginyeria: "Tenir referents no és suficient per eliminar la bretxa de gènere en les enginyeries" (15/1/2023)

https://www.fullsdenginyeria.cat/tenir-referents-no-es-suficient-eliminar-la-bretxa-de-genere-en-les-enginyeries

In this interview I insist on the need to address the problem of the sex/gender gap in STEM disciplines from a broad perspective, taking into account the many variables that may be involved. Having "female role models" is certainly very important, but clearly insufficient.




VIDEO at: Blog de STEM Women Congress, News (12, 05, 2023) and YouTube

https://stemwomen.eu/anna-inetskaya-y-victoria-d-chamizo-hablan-sobre-los-estereotipos-en-las-carreras-stem/

In this video Anna Inetskaya (engineer and university teacher of STEM subjects) and I mainly talk about the influence of stereotypes in STEM careers, which are so detrimental to girls.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vDVNMTrJ68M



February 11: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE.

Round table: 'Breaking the glass wall: overcoming the gender gap in research and clinical practice'




XVIII Jornadas Huarte de San Juan, March 2024.When sex does matter: spatial cognition and its impact on boys' and girls' education

XVIII Jornadas Huarte de San Juan, March 2024
Department of Psychology, University of Jaén.
Invited lecture, title:
"When sex does matter: spatial cognition and its impact on boys' and girls' education\”




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