Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1974 Sep;22(2):251–259. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-251

Transfer of control of the pigeon's key peck from food reinforcement to avoidance of shock

Donald D Foree, Vincent M LoLordo
PMCID: PMC1333267  PMID: 16811792

Abstract

Eight pigeons were initially trained to peck a white key for food under a variable-interval 1-min schedule of reinforcement. Then, a shock-avoidance schedule was initiated and food was no longer available in the experimental situation. Under the avoidance schedule, each peck on the key postponed shock for 40 sec. A warning signal, consisting of tone and red houselights, was presented after 30 sec without a response. If no response occurred, a shock was delivered 10 sec after warning-signal onset. Shocks were delivered every 10 sec in the presence of the warning signal until a response was made. The warning signal was terminated only by a response. Key pecking of all eight pigeons came under control of the avoidance schedule and responding continued throughout the 20-day avoidance training period.

Full text

PDF
253

Selected References

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

  1. AZRIN N. H. A technique for delivering shock to pigeons. J Exp Anal Behav. 1959 Apr;2:161–163. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1959.2-161. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brown P. L., Jenkins H. M. Auto-shaping of the pigeon's key-peck. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Jan;11(1):1–8. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coughlin R. C. Inexpensive pubis electrodes for delivering shock to pigeons. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 May;13(3):368–368. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-368. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. D AMATO M. R., SCHIFF D. LONG-TERM DISCRIMINATED AVOIDANCE PERFORMANCE IN THE RAT. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1964 Feb;57:123–126. doi: 10.1037/h0046678. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ELLEN P., WILSON A. S. TWO PATTERNS OF AVOIDANCE RESPONDING. J Exp Anal Behav. 1964 Jan;7:97–98. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1964.7-97. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FELDMAN R. S., BREMNER F. J. A method for rapid conditioning of stable avoidance bar pressing behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1963 Jul;6:393–394. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1963.6-393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ferrari E. A., Todorov J. C., Graeff F. G. Nondiscriminated avoidance of shock by pigeons pecking a key. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Mar;19(2):211–218. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.19-211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Foree D. D., Lolordo V. M. Signalled and unsignalled free-operant avoidance in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 May;13(3):283–290. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-283. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. GRAF V., BITTERMAN M. E. General activity as instrumental: application to avoidance training. J Exp Anal Behav. 1963 Apr;6:301–305. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1963.6-301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Giulian D., Schmaltz L. W. Enhanced discriminated bar-press avoidance in the rat through appetitive preconditioning. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1973 Apr;83(1):106–112. doi: 10.1037/h0034323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HOFFMAN H. S., FLESHLER M. Aversive control with the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1959 Jul;2:213–218. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1959.2-213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hineline P. N., Rachlin H. Escape and avoidance of shock by pigeons pecking a key. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):533–538. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-533. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Klein M., Rilling M. Effects of response-shock interval and shock intensity on free-operant avoidance responding in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Sep;18(2):295–303. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.18-295. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lumia A. R. The relationships among testosterone, conditioned aggression, and dominance in male pigeons. Horm Behav. 1972 Sep;3(3):277–286. doi: 10.1016/0018-506x(72)90041-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Macphail E. M. Avoidance responding in pigeons. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Sep;11(5):629–632. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-629. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McFarland D. J., Baher E. Factors affecting feather posture in the Barbary dove. Anim Behav. 1968 Feb;16(1):171–177. doi: 10.1016/0003-3472(68)90127-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rachlin H. Autoshaping of key pecking in pigeons with negative reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Jul;12(4):521–531. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-521. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rachlin H., Hineline P. N. Training and maintenance of keypecking in the pigeon by negative reinforcement. Science. 1967 Aug 25;157(3791):954–955. doi: 10.1126/science.157.3791.954. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Riess D. A shaping technique for producing rapid and reliable Sidman bar-press avoidance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):279–280. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-279. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Smith R. F., Gustavson C. R., Gregor G. L. Incompatability between the pigeons' unconditioned response to shock and the conditioned key-peck response. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Jul;18(1):147–153. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.18-147. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Smith R. F., Keller F. R. Free-operant avoidance in the pigeon using a treadle response. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):211–214. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. ULRICH R. E., HOLZ W. C., AZRIN N. H. STIMULUS CONTROL OF AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR. J Exp Anal Behav. 1964 Mar;7:129–133. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1964.7-129. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES