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Related Experiment Videos

Delayed choice responding by pigeons when the correct response is not predictable from the sample stimulus

J P Smith, J C Attwood, L Niedorowski

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |January 1, 1982
    PubMed
    Summary

    Pigeons learned to peck a green key for food rewards, showing accuracy decreased as the delay between stimuli increased. This study explores avian memory and choice behavior in a novel task.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Animal Behavior
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Investigating avian cognitive abilities provides insights into the evolution of memory and decision-making.
    • Pigeons (Columba livia) are widely used models for studying learning and memory due to their robust performance in various tasks.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To assess pigeons' ability to discriminate between stimuli after a delay.
    • To examine the effect of interstimulus interval (ISI) duration on choice accuracy in a novel delayed-matching-to-sample-like task.

    Main Methods:

    • Pigeons were trained on a four-key apparatus where a correct choice (green key that was previously white) was reinforced with grain.
    • The task involved a variable delay (blackout period) between initial stimulus presentation and the choice phase.

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  • Interstimulus interval durations were systematically varied to measure their impact on performance.

    • Main Results:

    • Five out of six pigeons successfully learned to respond to the correct green key above chance levels at a 1.5-second ISI.
    • Maximal performance varied across subjects, with optimal intertrial intervals ranging from 15 to 60 seconds.
    • Choice accuracy generally decreased as the ISI increased, indicating a decline in memory performance with longer delays.

    Conclusions:

    • Pigeons can learn and perform a delayed discrimination task, demonstrating working memory capabilities.
    • Performance is sensitive to the duration of the delay between stimulus presentation and response opportunity.
    • The observed decrements in accuracy are comparable to, though less severe than, those seen in other delayed memory tasks in pigeons.