Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Secondary generalization and categorization in pigeons.

R S Bhatt, E A Wasserman

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |November 1, 1989
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Utilisation of pumpkin seed (Cucurbita maxima) as a meat matrix preservative: Influence on colour and lipid stabilities.

    Meat science·2025
    Same author

    Comparing carbon footprints of sheep farming systems in semi-arid regions of India: A life cycle assessment study.

    PloS one·2024
    Same author

    Supplementation of Moringa oleifera leaf concentrate pellets on nutrient utilization, antioxidant status, and reproductive performance of prolific ewes during extreme summer months in semi-arid tropical conditions.

    Tropical animal health and production·2023
    Same author

    Use of Moringa oleifera leaves (sole or combined with concentrate) in rabbit feeding: Effects on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes.

    Meat science·2023
    Same author

    Dietary supplementation of plant bioactive-enriched aniseed straw and eucalyptus leaves modulates tissue fatty acid profile and nuggets quality of lambs.

    Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience·2020
    Same author

    In vitro rumen fermentation kinetics, metabolite production, methane and substrate degradability of polyphenol rich plant leaves and their component complete feed blocks.

    Journal of animal science and technology·2018
    Same journal

    The Genoeconomics of Impulsive Intertemporal Choice: A Critical Review.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Shaping the extinction burst: Increasing its probability and preventing its emergence across topographies.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Evaluating the combined effects of effort and probability on monetary discounting.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    An improved translational approach to studying persistence-strengthening effects of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Interactions between the effects of food and water motivating operations on concurrent food- and water-reinforced responding in mice.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Odor-visual and visual-visual matching to sample with dogs.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    See all related articles

    Pigeons trained on categorization did not show improved learning on new tasks, suggesting they did not form abstract stimulus classes. This indicates a failure to meet criteria for conceptual behavior in pigeons.

    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Animal Behavior
    • Comparative Cognition

    Background:

    • Categorization is a fundamental cognitive process.
    • Secondary generalization, based on mediating associations rather than physical similarity, is hypothesized to underlie complex categorization.
    • Previous research suggests categorization training can enhance subsequent learning, but empirical evidence in non-human animals is mixed.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate whether pigeons trained in categorization exhibit enhanced learning in a new categorization task.
    • To determine if pigeons form abstract stimulus classes (equivalence classes) through categorization training.
    • To assess if pigeons demonstrate secondary generalization, a key component of conceptual behavior.

    Main Methods:

    • Experiment 1: Pigeons were trained on either categorization (meaningful classes) or pseudocategorization (arbitrary classes), then tested on a new categorization task.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiment 2: Pigeons underwent original categorization training, followed by reassignment training on a subset of stimuli, and then were tested on remaining stimuli.
  • Performance was compared across groups and training conditions to evaluate learning and generalization patterns.

    • Main Results:

    • In Experiment 1, prior categorization or pseudocategorization experience did not differentially affect performance on a new categorization task.
    • In Experiment 2, pigeons' performance aligned more with their original training than with reassignment training.
    • These results suggest that categorization training did not lead to the formation of equivalence classes mediated by secondary generalization.

    Conclusions:

    • Pigeons in this study did not demonstrate secondary generalization following categorization training.
    • The findings imply that the pigeons failed to meet established criteria for conceptual behavior.
    • This research contributes to understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying categorization in non-human animals.