Processing of empty and filled time intervals in pigeons.
Pigeons were trained initially with 2- and 8-sec empty or filled intervals as sample stimuli. Interval onset and termination was signaled by 1-sec start and stop markers. Following retention and psychophysical testing, both groups were trained with the alternative type of interval, and the tests were repeated. Group empty-first demonstrated a choose-long effect with both empty and filled intervals. Group filled-first demonstrated a weak (and nonsignificant) choose-short effect with filled intervals and a robust choose-long effect with empty intervals. Both groups tended to time the markers and to add that duration to the sample duration only on filled-interval trials. Initial training with empty intervals alters the way pigeons process temporal information on filled-interval trials, whereas initial training with filled intervals has little effect on the processing of temporal information on empty-interval trials.
Grant
Douglas S
DS
Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. douglas.grant@ualberta.ca
Talarico
Diane C
DC
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003118:Color Perception; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009042:Motivation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013998:Time Perception