Does behavior contingent stimulus movement enhance filial imprinting in Japanese quail?

Japanese quail chicks were exposed for 2.5 hrs to either a white or a normal stuffed adult conspecific (= model). During this period the model was either nonmoving or it moved for short periods. This movement could be contingent or noncontingent upon distress calls of the chicks. In each condition, exposure led to a significant preference for the familiar model over the nonfamiliar one during a 10-min choice test. Chicks exposed to a nonmoving model had the weakest preference for the familiar model, whereas this preference was strongest in chicks exposed to the contingent moving model; the preference of the chicks exposed to the noncontingent moving model was in between. The results indicate that the extend to which stimulus movement enhances filial imprinting depends on the relation between the chicks behavior and the timing of the stimulus movement. However, it is not clear yet whether the effect arose because the chicks perceived the contingency between the stimulus movement and their behavior or by another mechanism.