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Behaviors observed during S- in a simple discrimination learning task.

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

|January 1, 1977

Summary

Pigeons learned to peck a key for food when a horizontal line was present, but not a vertical one. Behavior shifted based on the line

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Area of Science:

Behavioral psychology
Animal behavior studies

Background:

Pigeons were trained to perform key pecking for food reinforcement.
Differential reinforcement was established using visual stimuli: a horizontal line for reinforcement and a vertical line for non-reinforcement.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how pigeons allocate their time and adjust their response tempo between key pecking and stereotyped behaviors under differential reinforcement conditions.
To determine the roles of time allocation and response tempo in behavioral contrast.

Main Methods:

Pigeons were exposed to a horizontal line (reinforcement) and a vertical line (non-reinforcement).
Key pecking and stereotyped non-key-pecking behaviors were observed and recorded.
Generalization tests with intermediate stimuli were conducted to assess behavioral shifts.
Response rates (running rates) and time spent on key pecking were analyzed.

Main Results:

Pigeons spent more time key pecking with the horizontal line and engaged in stereotyped behaviors with the vertical line.
Intermediate stimuli resulted in intermediate proportions of both behaviors.
Running rates (response tempo) were similar across stimuli, suggesting time allocation was the primary factor in behavioral contrast.
During differential performance development, increased running rates were observed alongside increased key pecking time for the horizontal line.

Conclusions:

Behavioral contrast in pigeons is primarily driven by changes in time allocation between different behavioral categories.
Response tempo (running rate) can also contribute to behavioral contrast, particularly during the acquisition of differential performance.
The study highlights the interplay between time allocation and response tempo in shaping overall behavioral output under discriminative control.

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