Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Observational Learning

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...

Associative Learning

Associative Learning

Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...

Concepts and Prototypes

Concepts and Prototypes

The human nervous system handles vast amounts of information by translating sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes, creating thoughts expressed through language or stored as memories. The brain also synthesizes information from emotions and memories, which significantly influence thoughts and behaviors. This intricate process creates a comprehensive mental picture.
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...

Purposive Learning

Purposive Learning

E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...

Natural and Artificial Concepts

Natural and Artificial Concepts

In psychology, concepts can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural concepts are formed through direct or indirect experiences. For example, consider the concept of snow. If you live in a place with regular snowfall, such as Essex Junction, Vermont, you know snow through direct experiences. You’ve seen it fall, touched it, shoveled it, and played in it. You recognize its texture, appearance, and even its smell. In contrast, if you live on an island like Saint Vincent in...

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Neural insights into observational drawing: A longitudinal resting state functional connectivity study using 7 t MRI.

Brain and cognition·2025

Same author

Evaluating effects of aging on dog olfactory performance.

GeroScience·2025

Same author

Beyond the human touch: A critical review of the promise and challenges of animal- and robot-assisted therapy in loneliness and mental healthcare.

Asian journal of psychiatry·2025

Same author

Characterizing TV viewing habits in companion dogs.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

The effect of arousal during and post-training on memory consolidation in detection dogs.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Testing behavioral flexibility in pigeons using conditional midsession reversal tasks.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Published on: June 2, 2014

Matching-to-sample abstract-concept learning by pigeons.

Kent D Bodily¹, Jeffrey S Katz, Anthony A Wright

¹Department of Psychology, Auburn University, AL 36849, USA. bodilke@auburn.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes

|February 6, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Pigeons can learn abstract matching-to-sample rules, demonstrating cognitive flexibility. This research shows pigeons grasp concepts beyond specific training examples.

More Related Videos

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)

Published on: September 7, 2018

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants

Published on: October 5, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Recording Single Neurons' Action Potentials from Freely Moving Pigeons Across Three Stages of Learning

Published on: June 2, 2014

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)

Published on: September 7, 2018

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants

Published on: October 5, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Animal Behavior
Comparative Psychology

Background:

Abstract concepts, rules transcending specific training stimuli, are key to higher cognition.
Pigeons are extensively studied for concept learning, making them ideal subjects for investigating abstract rule acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether pigeons can learn the abstract concept of matching-to-sample.
To determine if pigeons' learning generalizes to novel stimuli not encountered during training.

Main Methods:

Five pigeons were trained on a matching-to-sample task with cartoon stimuli.
The training set size was progressively increased from 3 to 768 items through iterative cycles of training and testing.
Novel stimuli were introduced during testing phases to assess generalization and abstract concept learning.

Main Results:

Pigeons' transfer performance improved significantly from chance to over 80% as the training set size increased.
Performance with novel stimuli mirrored baseline performance, indicating successful abstract concept learning.
Statistical analyses ruled out item-specific strategies, supporting the learning of a relational concept.

Conclusions:

Pigeons demonstrate the capacity to learn abstract relational concepts, specifically matching-to-sample.
These findings challenge the notion that abstract concept learning is exclusive to certain species.
The study provides robust evidence for sophisticated cognitive abilities in pigeons, comparable to other species studied for abstract concept formation.