Generalized auditory same-different discrimination by pigeons.

Abstract

Three pigeons were trained in a successive same/different (S/D) procedure using compound auditory stimuli (pitch/timbre combinations). Using a go/no-go procedure, pigeons successfully learned to discriminate between sequences of either all same (AAAA . . . or BBBB . . .) or all different (ABCD . . .) sequences consisting of 12 sounds. Both pitch and timbre were subsequently established as controlling dimensions. Transfer tests with novel stimuli revealed a generalized basis for the discrimination (novel pitch/timbre combinations, novel pitches, novel instruments, and complex natural & man-made sounds). These results indicate for the first time that pigeons can learn generalized same/different discriminations in a nondominant modality. When combined with earlier visual results, they support a qualitative similarity among birds and primates in their capacity to judge this type of fundamental stimulus relation across different modalities.

Monitoring same/different discrimination behavior in time and space: Finding differences and anticipatory discrimination behavior

“…For example, Cook and Brooks (2009) deployed a technique in which separate portions of each multi-item trial were analyzed to reveal different temporal patterns of discrimination. The spatial location of pigeons' pecks has also been used to study other kinds of discrimination behavior.…”

Categories, concepts, and calls: Auditory perceptual mechanisms and cognitive abilities across different types of birds

“…To evaluate this latter possibility, it would be valuable to determine whether a non-songbird species also similarly perceives chick-a-dee calls as open-ended categories. Pigeons are a good species to test this idea as they are a readily available non-vocal learning avian species that has been demonstrated to be capable of discriminating a wide variety of auditory stimuli in different settings (e.g., Porter and Neuringer, 1984;Cook and Brooks, 2009).…”

“…Numerous studies have examined pigeons' abilities on visual same/different tasks (Cook et al, 1997;Young and Wasserman, 2001;Cook et al, 2003;Katz and Wright, 2006), but few have examined pigeons' abilities on same/different concept formation in the auditory domain (Cook and Brooks, 2009;Cook and Murphy, 2010). Because of the procedural similarities incorporated in these studies, comparisons can be made between the chickadee and pigeon results.…”

“…Based on the methodology of an auditory same/different task done with pigeons (Columba livia, Cook and Brooks, 2009;Murphy and Cook;2010), we examined black-capped chickadees' abilities in an abstract same/different task using synthesized sound sequences (Hoeschele, Cook, Guillette, Hahn et al, 2012). During training, different sequences contained 12 stimuli each with a different pitch and timbre, while same sequences consisted of the same stimulus repeated 12 times.…”

“…We tested five pigeons already performing a complex auditory go/no-go same/different task (Cook and Brooks, 2009;Murphy and Cook, 2010). In this task, the pigeons were presented sequences of 12 1.5 s sounds in a touchscreen operant chamber from speakers located in the right and left walls.…”