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Step changes in the intertrial interval in the midsession reversal task: Predicting pigeons' performance with the
Catarina Soares1, Cristina Santos2, Armando Machado2,3
1School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|October 14, 2020
Summary
Pigeons
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Pigeons exhibit anticipatory and perseverative errors in midsession reversal tasks.
- These errors suggest pigeons may time the interval to a contingency reversal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of timing in pigeons' performance on a midsession reversal task.
- To assess the influence of inter-trial interval (ITI) duration on timing accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Pigeons were trained on a discrete-trial midsession reversal task with two stimuli (S1 and S2).
- Inter-trial interval (ITI) duration was manipulated (doubled or halved) for different groups.
- Pigeons' choice behavior and preference reversal points were analyzed.
Main Results:
- When the ITI was doubled, preference reversal occurred at half the trial number but at the same session time.
- When the ITI was halved, preference reversal occurred at a later trial but earlier session time.
- Pigeons' performance showed partial consistency with the Learning-to-Time (LeT) model.
Conclusions:
- Pigeons' performance in the midsession reversal task is influenced by timing mechanisms.
- However, factors beyond simple interval timing, such as trial history, also control choice behavior.
- The Learning-to-Time (LeT) model partially explains but does not fully account for observed behavior.
