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. 1982 May;37(3):359–369. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1982.37-359

Some factors that influence the acquisition of complex, stereotyped, response sequences in pigeons

Richard Pisacreta
PMCID: PMC1333152  PMID: 16812273

Abstract

Two pigeons were required to peck six to nine illuminated response keys. A response on any one of the keys darkened that key. When each key had been darkened, a reinforcer was delivered. No specific sequence of key pecking was ever required. The keys were presented in various matrices: three by two, three by three, horizontal rows, and vertical columns. The keys either presented the same stimulus, white light; or each key presented a different stimulus, a color or form. The results indicated that although there were 720 to 362,880 different sequences that would produce reinforcement, each bird developed a particular, stereotyped sequence that dominated its behavior. Variability among the birds across phases yielded less than 60 sequences, .0001 to 6 percent of the possible sequences. The data suggest that a reinforcement contingency that includes “free choice” of response sequence will produce stereotypical response sequences that function as complex “units” of behavior.

Keywords: response sequences, complex operants, response stereotypy, key peck, pigeons

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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