title: The formation and execution of sequential plans in pigeons (Columba livia).
abstract: The ability to formulate and execute plans is a hallmark of human behaviour. Here we present evidence of planning in pigeons. Subjects were trained to respond to three geometric shapes in a prescribed order. Probe trials were then introduced in which, following a response to the first item, the on screen positions of the second and third item were exchanged. If subjects were planning a sequence of responses at the outset of a trial, we would expect reaction time to the second item to increase, reflecting the updating of a predetermined response plan. This is exactly what was found. Subjects also responded correctly on trials in which, following a response to the first item, stimuli were covered by opaque white squares. Together these results suggest pigeons are able to plan one step ahead on the simultaneous chaining paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scarf
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011930:Reaction Time; D014796:Visual Perception