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Author Terrace, H.S. doi  openurl
  Title Chunking by a pigeon in a serial learning task Type Journal Article
  Year 1987 Publication Nature Abbreviated Journal Nature  
  Volume 325 Issue 7000 Pages 149-151  
  Keywords Animals; Cognition/*physiology; Columbidae/*physiology; Feedback; Learning/*physiology; Male  
  Abstract (up) A basic principle of human memory is that lists that can be organized into memorable 'chunks' are easier to remember. Memory span is limited to a roughly constant number of chunks and is to a large extent independent of the amount of informaton contained in each chunk. Depending on the ingenuity of the code used to integrate discrete items into chunks, one can substantially increase the number of items that can be recalled correctly. Newly developed paradigms for studying memory in non-verbal organisms allow comparison of the abilities of human and non-human subjects to memorize lists. Here I present two types of evidence that pigeons 'chunk' 5-element lists whose components (colours and achromatic geometric forms) are clustered into distinct groups. Those lists were learned twice as rapidly as a homogeneous list of colours or heterogeneous lists in which the elements are not clustered. The pigeons were also tested for knowledge of the order of two elements drawn from the 5-element lists. They responded in the correct order only to those subsets that contained a chunk boundary. Thus chunking can be studied profitably in animal subjects; the cognitive processes that allow an organism to form chunks do no presuppose linguistic competence.  
  Address  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0028-0836 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:3808071 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2792  
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Author Friedrich, A.M.; Zentall, T.R. doi  openurl
  Title Pigeons shift their preference toward locations of food that take more effort to obtain Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Behavioural processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 67 Issue 3 Pages 405-415  
  Keywords Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Choice Behavior; Columbidae; *Exertion; *Feeding Behavior; Reward  
  Abstract (up) Although animals typically prefer to exert less effort rather than more effort to obtain food, the present research shows that requiring greater effort to obtain food at a particular location appears to increase the value of that location. In Experiment 1, pigeons' initial preference for one feeder was significantly reduced by requiring 1 peck to obtain food from that feeder and requiring 30 pecks to obtain food from the other feeder. In Experiment 2, a similar decrease in preference was not found when pigeons received reinforcement from both feeders independently of the amount of effort required. These results are consistent with the within-trial contrast effect proposed by in which the relative hedonic value of a reward depends on the state of the animal immediately prior to the reward. The greater the improvement from that prior state the greater the value of the reinforcer.  
  Address Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0376-6357 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:15518990 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 227  
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Author Rilling, M.E.; Neiworth, J.J. openurl 
  Title How animals use images Type Journal Article
  Year 1991 Publication Science Progress Abbreviated Journal Sci Prog  
  Volume 75 Issue 298 Pt 3-4 Pages 439-452  
  Keywords Animals; Association Learning; Columbidae; *Concept Formation; *Imagination; *Mental Recall; Motion Perception; Problem Solving; *Thinking; *Visual Perception  
  Abstract (up) Animal cognition is a field within experimental psychology in which cognitive processes formerly studied exclusively with people have been demonstrated in animals. Evidence for imagery in the pigeon emerges from the experiments described here. The pigeon's task was to discriminate, by pecking the appropriate choice key, between a clock hand presented on a video screen that rotated clockwise with constant velocity from a clock hand that violated constant velocity. Imagery was defined by trials on which the line rotated from 12.00 o'clock to 3.00 o'clock, then disappeared during a delay, and reappeared at a final stop location beyond 3.00 o'clock. After acquisition of a discrimination with final stop locations at 3.00 o'clock and 6.00 o'clock, the evidence for imagery was the accurate responding of the pigeons to novel locations at 4.00 o'clock and 7.00 o'clock. Pigeons display evidence of imagery by transforming a representation of movement that includes a series of intermediate steps which accurately represent the location of a moving stimulus after it disappears.  
  Address Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0036-8504 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:1842858 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2831  
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Author Reid, P.J.; Shettleworth, S.J. openurl 
  Title Detection of cryptic prey: search image or search rate? Type Journal Article
  Year 1992 Publication Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes Abbreviated Journal J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process  
  Volume 18 Issue 3 Pages 273-286  
  Keywords Animals; Appetitive Behavior; *Attention; Color Perception; Columbidae; *Discrimination Learning; Food Preferences/psychology; *Imagination; *Mental Recall; *Predatory Behavior  
  Abstract (up) Animals' improvement in capturing cryptic prey with experience has long been attributed to a perceptual mechanism, the specific search image. Detection could also be improved by adjusting rate of search. In a series of studies using both naturalistic and operant search tasks, pigeons searched for wheat, dyed to produce 1 conspicuous and 2 equally cryptic prey types. Contrary to the predictions of the search-rate hypothesis, pigeons given a choice between the 2 cryptic types took the type experienced most recently. However, experience with 1 cryptic type improved accuracy on the other cryptic type, a result inconsistent with a search image specific to 1 prey type. Search image may better be thought of as priming of attention to those features of the prey type that best distinguish the prey from the background.  
  Address University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0097-7403 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:1619395 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 381  
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Author Zentall, T.R.; Jackson-Smith, P.; Jagielo, J.A.; Nallan, G.B. openurl 
  Title Categorical shape and color coding by pigeons Type Journal Article
  Year 1986 Publication Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes Abbreviated Journal J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process  
  Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 153-159  
  Keywords Animals; *Color Perception; Columbidae; *Discrimination Learning; *Form Perception; *Generalization, Stimulus; Psychophysics; Transfer (Psychology)  
  Abstract (up) Categorical coding is the tendency to respond similarly to discriminated stimuli. Past research indicates that pigeons can categorize colors according to at least three spectral regions. Two present experiments assessed the categorical coding of shapes and the existence of a higher order color category (all colors). Pigeons were trained on two independent tasks (matching-to-sample, and oddity-from-sample). One task involved red and a plus sign, the other a circle and green. On test trials one of the two comparison stimuli from one task was replaced by one of the stimuli from the other task. Differential performance based on which of the two stimuli from the other task was introduced suggested categorical coding rules. In Experiment 1 evidence for the categorical coding of sample shapes was found. Categorical color coding was also found; however, it was the comparison stimuli rather than the samples that were categorically coded. Experiment 2 replicated the categorical shape sample effect and ruled out the possibility that the particular colors used were responsible for the categorical coding of comparison stimuli. Overall, the results indicate that pigeons can develop categorical rules involving shapes and colors and that the color categories can be hierarchical.  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0097-7403 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:3701264 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 262  
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Author DiGian, K.A.; Friedrich, A.M.; Zentall, T.R. openurl 
  Title Discriminative stimuli that follow a delay have added value for pigeons Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Psychonomic bulletin & review Abbreviated Journal Psychon Bull Rev  
  Volume 11 Issue 5 Pages 889-895  
  Keywords Animals; Behavior, Animal; Choice Behavior; Columbidae; *Cues; *Discrimination (Psychology)  
  Abstract (up) Clement, Feltus, Kaiser, and Zentall (2000) reported that pigeons prefer discriminative stimuli that require greater effort (more pecks) to obtain over those that require less effort. In the present experiment, we examined two variables associated with this phenomenon. First, we asked whether delay of reinforcement, presumably a relatively aversive event similar to effort, would produce similar effects. Second, we asked whether the stimulus preference produced by a prior relatively aversive event depends on its anticipation. Anticipation of delay was accomplished by signaling its occurrence. Results indicated that delays can produce preferences similar to those produced by increased effort, but only if the delays are signaled.  
  Address University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0044, USA  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1069-9384 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:15732699 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 226  
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Author Nguyen, N.H.; Klein, E.D.; Zentall, T.R. openurl 
  Title Imitation of a two-action sequence by pigeons Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Psychonomic bulletin & review Abbreviated Journal Psychon Bull Rev  
  Volume 12 Issue 3 Pages 514-518  
  Keywords Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Columbidae; *Imitative Behavior; *Learning  
  Abstract (up) Developmental psychologists have described imitation as a process that suggests perspective-taking abilities. However, imitative behavior has been found in animals, which are generally not considered capable of taking the perspective of another. Previous studies with birds have demonstrated the imitation of a single response (sometimes referred to as action-level imitation). In the present experiment, we examined the extent to which pigeons would imitate an unfamiliar sequence of two behaviors (sometimes referred to as program-level imitation). Our results indicate that, although there are individual differences, pigeons show a significant tendency to match a demonstrated sequence of behavior involving, first, a response to a treadle (pecking at it or stepping on it) and, second, pushing aside a screen that blocks access to food (a left-vs.-right push).  
  Address University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1069-9384 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16235638 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 221  
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Author Roper, K.L.; Zentall, T.R. openurl 
  Title Directed forgetting in animals Type Journal Article
  Year 1993 Publication Psychological bulletin Abbreviated Journal Psychol Bull  
  Volume 113 Issue 3 Pages 513-532  
  Keywords Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Columbidae; Conditioning (Psychology); Discrimination Learning; Female; Humans; Male; Memory Disorders/*psychology; Reinforcement (Psychology); Task Performance and Analysis  
  Abstract (up) Directed-forgetting research with animals suggests that animals show disrupted test performance only under certain conditions. Important variables are (a) whether during training, the cue to forget (F cue) signals nonreward (i.e., that the trial is over) versus reward (i.e., that reinforcement can be obtained) and (b) given that reinforcement can be obtained on F-cue trials, whether the post-F-cue response pattern is compatible with the baseline memory task. It is proposed that some findings of directed forgetting can be attributed to trained response biases, whereas others may be attributable perhaps to frustration-produced interference. It is suggested that directed forgetting in animals should be studied using procedures similar to those used to study directed forgetting in humans. This can be accomplished by presenting, within a trial, both to-be-remembered and to-be-forgotten material.  
  Address Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0033-2909 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:8316612 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 259  
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Author Zentall, T.R.; Kaiser, D.H.; Clement, T.S.; Weaver, J.E.; Campbell, G. openurl 
  Title Presence/absence-sample matching by pigeons: divergent retention functions may result from the similarity of behavior during the absence sample and the retention interval Type Journal Article
  Year 2000 Publication Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes Abbreviated Journal J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process  
  Volume 26 Issue 3 Pages 294-304  
  Keywords Analysis of Variance; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Choice Behavior; *Columbidae; *Conditioning, Operant; Cues  
  Abstract (up) Divergent choose-absence retention functions typically found in pigeons following presence/absence-sample matching have been attributed to the development of a single-code/default coding strategy. However, such effects may result from adventitious differential responding to the samples. In Experiment 1, retention functions were divergent only when differential sample responding could serve as the basis for comparison choice. In Experiment 2, when pecking did not occur during the retention interval, a choose-absence bias was found, but when pecking occurred during the retention interval, a choose-presence bias resulted. In Experiment 3, positive transfer was found when a stimulus associated with the absence of pecking replaced the absence sample but not when a stimulus associated with pecking replaced the presence sample. Thus, presence/absence-sample matching may not encourage the development of a single-code/default coding strategy in pigeons.  
  Address Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506, USA. zentall@pop.uky.edu  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0097-7403 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:10913994 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 247  
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Author Katz, J.S.; Wright, A.A. doi  openurl
  Title Same/different abstract-concept learning by pigeons Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes Abbreviated Journal J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process  
  Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 80-86  
  Keywords Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Columbidae; *Concept Formation; Conditioning (Psychology); *Learning  
  Abstract (up) Eight pigeons were trained and tested in a simultaneous same/different task. After pecking an upper picture, they pecked a lower picture to indicate same or a white rectangle to indicate different. Increases in the training set size from 8 to 1,024 items produced improved transfer from 51.3% to 84.6%. This is the first evidence that pigeons can perform a two-item same/different task as accurately with novel items as training items and both above 80% correct. Fixed-set control groups ruled out training time or transfer testing as producing the high level of abstract-concept learning. Comparisons with similar experiments with rhesus and capuchin monkeys showed that the ability to learn the same/different abstract concept was similar but that pigeons require more training exemplars.  
  Address Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. katzjef@auburn.edu  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0097-7403 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16435967 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2764  
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