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Rebecca M Rayburn-Reeves1, Muhammad A J Qadri1, Daniel I Brooks1

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Pigeons shift from using internal time cues to external visual cues when learning tasks become unpredictable. This research explores how external cues like colored intervals influence pigeon behavior during reversal learning.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Animal Cognition
  • Learning and Memory

Background:

  • Midsession reversal (MSR) learning in pigeons typically shows errors around the reversal point.
  • This suggests behavior is controlled by internal time estimation rather than external reinforcement cues.
  • Previous research indicates a reliance on temporal cues, prompting an investigation into external cue effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role and effectiveness of external visual cues in the MSR task.
  • To determine how pigeons utilize different types of external cues (differential outcomes, ITI color cues) during reversal learning.
  • To understand the dynamic interplay between internal temporal cues and external visual cues in controlling behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Experiment 1: Compared differential outcomes based on response key location versus non-differential outcomes.
  • Experiment 2a: Used alternating differentially colored inter-trial intervals (ITIs) versus dark ITIs.
  • Experiment 2b & 2c: Introduced probe trials with ITI color cues (cued, un-cued, miscue conditions) around the reversal point.

Main Results:

  • Differential outcomes reduced errors prior to, but not after, the reversal.
  • Alternating colored ITI cues improved switch efficiency both before and after the reversal.
  • Pigeons utilized ITI cues when available and time-based cues when ITIs were un-cued, indicating simultaneous processing and independent control.

Conclusions:

  • External visual cues, particularly ITI color cues, can effectively control behavior in MSR tasks.
  • Pigeons dynamically shift reliance from internal temporal cues to external visual cues as the utility of temporal cues decreases.
  • These findings highlight the flexible use of environmental cues in learning and decision-making, supporting an occasion setting perspective.