Pigeons presented with sequences of light flashes use behavior to count but not to time

J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2002 Apr;28(2):137-50.

Abstract

On randomly ordered trials, pigeons were presented with either a blue or a white key that flashed red for 200 ms at a fast (2 flashes/s), medium (1 flash/s), or slow (0.5 flashes/s) rate. The blue key signaled a fixed-interval (FI) schedule in which the first response after 20 s was reinforced, and the white key signaled a fixed-number (FN) schedule in which the first response after 20 flashes was reinforced. In Experiments 1 and 2, pigeons showed depressed responding to the flash on FI-cued trials and accelerated responding to the flash on FN-cued trials. When the response key was periodically blacked out in Experiments 3 and 4, counting but not timing was eliminated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Appetitive Behavior
  • Attention*
  • Color Perception*
  • Columbidae
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Problem Solving*
  • Reinforcement Schedule
  • Time Perception*