Schedule-induced mirror responding in the pigeon.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral psychology
• Animal behavior studies

Background:

• Pigeons exhibit complex behaviors in response to varied reinforcement schedules.
• Schedule-induced behaviors, such as aggression, can be elicited under specific conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pigeon's mirror responding under multiple fixed-ratio schedules.
• To determine the control exerted by discriminative stimuli and reinforcement schedules on this behavior.

Main Methods:

• Pigeons were exposed to multiple fixed-ratio, fixed-ratio schedules with visual stimuli.
• Mirror responding was compared to target-attacking behavior.
• Reversal designs and variations in ratio requirements were employed.

Main Results:

• Mirror responding mimicked schedule-induced attack topography and temporal patterns.
• Mirror responding decreased when the mirror was covered or the schedule removed.
• Higher fixed-ratio schedules, signaled by specific stimuli, controlled mirror responding.
• An inverted U-shaped relationship was observed between mirror responding rate and varied fixed-ratio schedules.
• Inter-food intervals were identified as the primary determinant of target responding rate.

Conclusions:

• Mirror responding in pigeons is a form of schedule-induced behavior.
• Discriminative stimuli associated with higher reinforcement rates control this behavior.
• Inter-food intervals are a critical factor in schedule-induced target responding.