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Transfer of matching performance in pigeons
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|January 1, 1979
Summary
Pigeons demonstrated stimulus generalization in matching tasks, showing less matching with novel stimuli but still above chance. They also adapted to symbolic matching, indicating stimulus-response chaining in their learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Animal Behavior
- Comparative Cognition
Background:
- Pigeons (Columba livia) are widely used models for studying learning and cognition.
- Matching-to-sample tasks assess stimulus control and generalization in animals.
- Understanding stimulus generalization is crucial for interpreting animal learning and decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate stimulus generalization in pigeons using simultaneous matching-to-sample tasks.
- To examine the effects of novel stimuli on matching accuracy.
- To explore the adaptability of trained pigeons to symbolic matching tasks.
Main Methods:
- Pigeons were trained on simultaneous matching-to-sample problems with geometric and hue stimuli.
- Post-acquisition, pigeons were tested with novel stimuli, varying in one or two elements.
- Subsequently, pigeons were shifted to symbolic matching tasks requiring stimulus associations.
Main Results:
- Matching performance decreased with novel stimuli but remained significantly above chance, indicating positive transfer.
- Greater positive transfer occurred when only one stimulus member was novel.
- Pigeons showed initial impairment in symbolic matching but recovered rapidly, staying above chance levels.
Conclusions:
- Pigeon performance suggests a capacity for stimulus generalization beyond trained exemplars.
- Rapid recovery in symbolic matching supports a stimulus-response-chaining model of behavior.
- Findings contribute to understanding the flexibility and underlying mechanisms of avian cognitive processes.