Skip to main content

Pigeons prefer conditional stimuli over their absence: a comment on Roberts et al. (2009).

Author
Abstract
:

Recently, Roberts et al. (2009) have suggested that pigeons performing delayed matching-to-sample appear unwilling to request to see the sample again (or even for the first time) prior to choice, even if that choice would result in an increase in matching accuracy. In each of their four experiments, however, presentation (Experiments 3 & 4) or representation of the sample (Experiments 1 & 2) resulted in an added delay to reinforcement. Thus, the pigeons had to choose between an immediate reinforcer on about 50% of the trials and a delayed reinforcer on a significantly higher percentage of the trials. In the present research, when we equated the two alternatives for delay to reinforcement, we found that pigeons generally showed a significant preference for trials with a relevant sample over trials with an irrelevant sample. When the contingencies were reversed, most of the pigeons reversed their preference. Although these results do not present evidence for metacognition, they do show that pigeons are sensitive to the potential for a higher probability of reinforcement when delay to reinforcement is controlled.

Year of Publication
:
2010
Journal
:
Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes
Volume
:
36
Issue
:
4
Number of Pages
:
506-9
Date Published
:
2010 Oct
ISSN Number
:
0097-7403
URL
:
http://content.apa.org/journals/xan/36/4/506
DOI
:
10.1037/a0020202
Short Title
:
J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process
Download citation