Conditioning the pecking motions of pigeons

Hörster, Wolfgang; Krumm, Ernst; Mohr, Christine; Delius, Juan

Conditioning the pecking motions of pigeons

Files

Delius+Conditioning...+2002+edit.pdf(8.05 MB)

Date

2002

Authors

Hörster, Wolfgang

Krumm, Ernst

Mohr, Christine

Delius, Juan

Publication type

Journal article

Published in

Behavioural Processes ; 58 (2002), 1-2. - pp. 27-43. - ISSN 0376-6357

Abstract

The spatio-temporal courses of head and neck motions of pigeons while pecking at small grains are described. Single and serial pecks are distinguished but the inter- and intraindividual variability of the peck kinetics is stressed. Pigeons were then trained with instrumental conditioning procedures to speed-up their pecking. A partial reinforcement schedule where pigeons had to peck repeatedly before receiving reward led to a mild shortening of inter-peck intervals at lower reinforcement rates but surprisingly, a lengthening at higher rates. A schedule where short inter-peck intervals were differentially rewarded yielded a pronounced abbreviation of the inter-peck intervals, but this was achieved by a reduction of the movement path rather than an increase in motion velocity. A schedule whereby increased approach velocities were differentially rewarded yielded marked movement accelerations. When pigeons were rewarded for diminished approach speeds they also showed significant movement decelerations. Finally, it is shown that pigeons could learn to reliably abort their peck approach movement when a visual stimulus signalling a penalty was occasionally presented during the approach movement. The proportion of successful peck interruptions decreased as these interruption signals occurred later during the approach phase. It is concluded that the pecking of pigeons is neither an innately fixed nor a visually ballistic movement. It is instead a multiply controlled and flexibly adaptable response pattern.

Subject (DDC)

150 Psychology

Keywords

Pigeon pecking,fixed pattern,ballistic motion,movement speed,instrumental conditioning

Cite This

ISO 690

HÖRSTER, Wolfgang, Ernst KRUMM, Christine MOHR, Juan DELIUS, 2002. Conditioning the pecking motions of pigeons. In: Behavioural Processes. 58(1-2), pp. 27-43. ISSN 0376-6357. Available under: doi: 10.1016/S0376-6357(01)00208-X

BibTex

@article{Horster2002Condi-20290,
  year={2002},
  doi={10.1016/S0376-6357(01)00208-X},
  title={Conditioning the pecking motions of pigeons},
  number={1-2},
  volume={58},
  issn={0376-6357},
  journal={Behavioural Processes},
  pages={27--43},
  author={Hörster, Wolfgang and Krumm, Ernst and Mohr, Christine and Delius, Juan}
}

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