An experimental test of an alleged innate sign stimulus.

Abstract

The literature contains several reports (I, 2, 3, 4, 5) to the effect that, a moving overhead "shape in relation to direction of movement" (5, p. 77) acts as a sign stimulus for domestic and other fowl independently of any previous experience with these configurations-i.e., the same shape in different directions serves as a sign to release different responses. Thus, Tinbcrgen (4, p. 35) reports that a cardboard model designed to look like a hawk (H) when flown in one direction "caused escape reactions, such as flight and crouching," whereas this same model when flown in the opposite direction looks like a goose (G) and elicits "merely superficial interest." None of these studies, however, reports the use of certain important controls such as the testing of individual birds and the use of birds with a known developmental history. We decided therefore to make such tests under controlled conditions on birds raised in the laboratory.MKTIIOl)

The hawk/goose story: The classical ethological experiments of Lorenz and Tinbergen, revisited.

“…Kr 40 ϭ Buteo lagopus, Kw 40 ϭ Falco peregrinus, Krätzig, 1940. H4 55 ϭ 4" dummy, H10 55 ϭ 10" dummy, Hirsch & al., (1955). M4,5 59 ϭ Melzack & al., (1959).…”

Emotions Research: Some Promising Questions and Some Questionable Promises

“…It was soon discovered, however, that sticklebacks responded to all novel colors equally, that they exhibited enormous individual differences in responses to the color red (Muckensturm, 1969), and that their aggression readily habituated over repeated trials to the same stimulus object (Peeke, 1969). Essentially the.same was found for the releasing capacity of the bird-of-prey shape on the escape behavior of chicks and ducklings (Hirsch, Lindley, & Tolman, 1955). And given some experience, young gallinaceous birds were observed to lose their fear even of a live hawk (Martin & Melvin, 1964).…”

Behavioral Genetics and Animal Science

“…However, when the silhouette is reversed to look like a goose, there is no effect (Tinbergen, 1951). Several members of the research community doubted the existence of such a hard-wired instinct because other scientists failed to repeat these experiments (Hirsh et al, 1955). Recently Canty and Gould (1995) repeated the classic experiments and explained why the other experiments failed.…”