Auditory Same/Different Concept Learning and Generalization in Black-Capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)

Abstract

concept learning was thought to be uniquely human, but has since been observed in many other species. Discriminating same from different is one abstract relation that has been studied frequently. In the current experiment, using operant conditioning, we tested whether black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) could discriminate sets of auditory stimuli based on whether all the sounds within a sequence were the same or different from one another. The chickadees were successful at solving this same/different relational task, and transferred their learning to same/different sequences involving novel combinations of training notes and novel notes within the range of pitches experienced during training. The chickadees showed limited transfer to pitches that was not used in training, suggesting that the processing of absolute pitch may constrain their relational performance. Our results indicate, for the first time, that black-capped chickadees readily form relational auditory same and different categories, adding to the list of perceptual, behavioural, and cognitive abilities that make this species an important comparative model for human language and cognition.

Octave equivalence perception is not linked to vocal mimicry: budgerigars fail standardized operant tests for octave equivalence

“…In addition, chickadees that learned to respond to consecutive 12 tones that were the same and not to 12 tones that were different were able to generalize this rule to almost all stimuli with which they were tested. However, they failed to respond accurately when tested with tones outside of the training range (Hoeschele et al, 2012b). But in some cases with more naturalistic stimuli, birds are able to generalize across pitch changes.…”

Moving from Perceptual to Functional Categories in Songbirds

“…In collaboration with Cook, we (Hoeschele, Cook, Guillette, Hahn, & Sturdy, 2012) trained blackcapped chickadees in a version of this task. Chickadees, like pigeons, learned to discriminate based on the abstract concept of same/different.…”

Avian cognition: examples of sophisticated capabilities in space and song

“…Although birds may be more adept at discriminating natural stimuli, like those they would encounter in the wild, birds can also discriminate artificial stimuli. Hoeschele and colleagues 110 showed that chickadees could discriminate between sequences of artificial sounds based on whether those sequences were the same or different; crucially, they transferred this learning to tests with novel stimuli. Similar results have been shown for auditory same/different discriminations in pigeons 111 and budgerigars 112 (Melopsittacus undulates).…”