The formation of a complex skill in Black Sea dolphins under free choice conditions

A free choice situation, characterized by the fact that any sequence of actions of dolphins on manipulators set up in a pen was reinforced, providing that they pressed on three specific levers in a required order, independent of the number of "superfluous" reactions before and between the required actions, was created in the experiment. No sequence of actions leading to reinforcement was formed in the dolphin in the first series of experiments using eight above-water levers. In the second series, using eight under-water manipulators, both experimental dolphins regularly acquired reinforcement. Stereotypical trajectories of movements about the pen, which included swimming passed the levers and sequential actions on them, were formed in these dolphins. The formation of a minimal chain of motoric reactions did not take place, although presses on some of the "superfluous" levers did stop. During the accomplishment of the task, the phenomenon of efferent generalization was manifested in two ways in the dolphins in both series of experiments: the animals acted in different ways on the very same manipulator and performed presses on various levers.