Effects of varying response requireinents on perception of cattsalíty by pigeons

Abstract

It is known that pigeons can discritninate between events produced by their own behavior ami events produced by other sources. Tite typical preparation consists in pre¬sen ting a sti,nulus change in the central key according te two concurrent randotn-ratio schedules; ene is key-peck dependent and tite other ir response independent. After the stsmulus change has occurred, tite pigeons report en ene of tite two lateral keys whether tite change was self-produced or equipment-produced. If tite response ir “correct’ grain isprovided. If tite response ir “incorrect”, it ispunished by a time-out.Using this procedure, tite acquisition of tite discrimination was tested under two values of tite random-ratio scitedule: RAS and RR2O. Jn a second fase of tite study, tite value of tite RA scitedule was varied: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 amI 200 responses were requiredfor a stintulus change.It was found titat tite RR2O was more conducive te tite adquisition of tite dtscrtmtnatson titan tite RAS. It was also found titat once tite discrimination had been acquired, varying tite RA scitedule itad no sensible effect en tite perception of causality.