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Uncertainty in pigeons.

Leslie M Sole1, Sara J Shettleworth, Patrick J Bennett

  • 1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 19, 2003
PubMed
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Pigeons learned to classify visual stimuli for food rewards. Their decision-making aligned with maximizing perceived reward, but not with conscious uncertainty like humans.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Cognition
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Perceptual Decision-Making

Background:

  • Understanding decision-making processes in non-human animals is crucial for comparative cognition.
  • Previous research suggests similarities in decision-making under uncertainty across species like humans and monkeys.
  • Investigating pigeon (Columba livia) behavior offers insights into the evolution of cognitive mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how pigeons make perceptual decisions under varying levels of stimulus ambiguity.
  • To compare pigeon decision-making strategies with those of humans and monkeys in similar tasks.
  • To determine if pigeons utilize a strategy based on maximizing perceived reward or conscious uncertainty.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons were trained to discriminate between sparse and dense visual stimuli on a touchscreen.

Related Experiment Videos

  • A third, uncertain response option, yielding intermediate rewards, was available.
  • Behavioral data were analyzed using a signal detection model to assess decision strategies.

    • Main Results:

    • Pigeons increased their use of the uncertain option when stimuli were ambiguous, similar to humans and monkeys.
    • However, pigeon behavior did not align with models of conscious uncertainty reported in other species.
    • A signal detection model assuming reward maximization accurately described pigeon choices across all conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • Pigeon behavior in this task is best explained by a reward maximization strategy, not conscious uncertainty.
    • While exhibiting some behavioral parallels with humans and monkeys, pigeons' underlying decision mechanisms may differ.
    • This study highlights the importance of considering reward contingencies in interpreting animal decision-making.