Training delays reduce the choose-short effect with keylight, but not with food, duration samples in pigeons.
Pigeons were trained to match 2- and 8-s food samples. The delay on training trials was either 0s (group 0sF), 5s (group 5sF), or varied between 2 and 8s (M=5s, group 5sV). Testing at a delay that exceeded the training delay by 15s in each group revealed a robust choose-short effect in each group. The same pigeons then reacquired a previously trained matching task involving 2- and 8-s keylight samples. Different comparison stimuli were used on food-sample and keylight-sample trials. The delay on training trials was the same on both food- and keylight-sample trials. Extended-delay testing revealed a robust choose-short effect in all three groups when the durations were conveyed by food presentations, but only group 0sF revealed a choose-short effect when the durations were conveyed by keylight presentations. Hence, training with a nonzero delay, whether fixed or variable, reduces the choose-short effect with keylight durations but not with food durations. It was concluded that at least some of the psychological processes mediating performance differ as a function of the event that conveys the duration.
Grant
Douglas S
DS
Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9. douglas.grant@ualberta.ca
D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*