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Effects of unpredictable changes in initial-link duration on choice and timing.
Elizabeth G E Kyonka1, Randolph C Grace
1University of Canterbury, Department of Psychology, Christchurch, New Zealand. elizabeth.kyonka@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Behavioural Processes
|May 12, 2009
Summary
Pigeons showed a preference for shorter food delays, a choice that decreased as the initial link duration increased. Their timing behavior stabilized early in sessions, unaffected by prior session durations.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Animal cognition
- Operant conditioning
Background:
- Understanding temporal control in pigeons is crucial for behavioral research.
- Previous studies have explored fixed-interval schedules and their effects on behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pigeons make choices between different delayed rewards.
- To examine the role of initial-link duration in modulating choice and timing behavior.
- To assess the temporal control of behavior under fixed-interval schedules.
Main Methods:
- Four pigeons were trained using a concurrent-chains procedure.
- Terminal-link schedules included fixed-interval (FI) 10s and FI 20s, with locations varying pseudorandomly.
- Initial-link schedules were variable-interval (VI) with durations sampled uniformly from 0.01 to 30s.
- Food was withheld on some trials to measure temporal control.
Main Results:
- Pigeons' choice behavior (log initial-link response ratios) and timing behavior (start/stop times) stabilized within the first half of each session.
- Preference for the shorter terminal-link delay decreased as the initial-link duration increased.
- No evidence of control by initial-link durations from previous sessions was observed.
Conclusions:
- Initial-link duration is a significant factor influencing choice behavior in pigeons.
- Pigeons exhibit robust temporal control, with timing measures stabilizing rapidly within sessions.
- Behavioral responses are primarily influenced by current session parameters, not historical ones.
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