ABSTRACT
No situation ever repeats itself exactly, even in the most tightly controlled laboratory (Hilgard & Marquis, 1940, pp. 176–177; Pavlov, 1927, p. 111). Thus, a key requirement for the success of any adaptive organism is its ability to transfer what has been learned in one situation to another situation. Transfer of learning not only permits the organism to tolerate random variation across reoccurring situations but also permits the organism to capitalize on previous experience to deal effectively with more novel situations as they arise.
