Memory codes for temporal and nontemporal samples in many-to-one matching by pigeons

Santi, Angelo; Bridson, Steve; Ducharme, Mary Jo

doi:10.3758/bf03213391

Cited by 72 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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supporting

confidence: 58%

“…Spetch and Wilkie referred to this result as the choose-short effect, because pigeons show a bias to peck the comparison stimulus associated with the short sample as the delay interval is extended beyond baseline training. This result has been reported in a large number of studies (Fetterman, 1995;Gaitan & Wixted, 2000;Grant, 1993Grant, , 2006Grant & Kelly, 1996Grant & Spetch, 1991, 1993Grant, Spetch, & Kelly, 1997;Kelly & Spetch, 2000;Kraemer, Mazmanian, & Roberts, 1985;Santi, Bridson, & Ducharme, 1993;Santi, Ducharme, & Bridson, 1992;Sherburne, Zentall, & Kaiser, 1998;Spetch, 1987;Spetch & Rusak, 1989.Memory for number of events has also been studied by training pigeons in a DSMTS procedure (Fetterman, 2000;Fetterman & MacEwen, 1989;Hope & Santi, 2004;Roberts, Macuda, & Brodbeck, 1995;Santi & Hope, 2001). In the studies by Roberts et al and Santi and Hope, pigeons were presented with sample stimuli consisting of two flashes of light in 4 sec (2f/4) or eight flashes of light in 4 sec (8f/4).…”

mentioning

confidence: 76%

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Pigeons’ memory for sequences of light flashes when gap duration is an unreliable discriminative cue

Keough

Santi

Rooyen

2007

Learning & Behavior

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In studies of memory for event duration, pigeons are trained using a delayed symbolic matching-to-sample (DSMTS) procedure to discriminate the duration of a sample stimulus (e.g., 2 vs. 8 sec of houselight illumination). A peck to one comparison stimulus (e.g., red) is reinforced if the sample duration is short, and a peck to the other comparison stimulus (e.g., green) is reinforced if the sample duration is long. Working memory is tested by inserting a delay interval between the end of sample presentation and the onset of comparison stimuli. As demonstrated initially by Spetch and Wilkie (1983), the retention function for the long sample duration drops below chance, whereas the retention function for the short sample duration remains well above chance over delays of 10 and 20 sec. Spetch and Wilkie referred to this result as the choose-short effect, because pigeons show a bias to peck the comparison stimulus associated with the short sample as the delay interval is extended beyond baseline training. This result has been reported in a large number of studies (Fetterman, 1995;Gaitan & Wixted, 2000;Grant, 1993Grant, , 2006Grant & Kelly, 1996Grant & Spetch, 1991, 1993Grant, Spetch, & Kelly, 1997;Kelly & Spetch, 2000;Kraemer, Mazmanian, & Roberts, 1985;Santi, Bridson, & Ducharme, 1993;Santi, Ducharme, & Bridson, 1992;Sherburne, Zentall, & Kaiser, 1998;Spetch, 1987;Spetch & Rusak, 1989.Memory for number of events has also been studied by training pigeons in a DSMTS procedure (Fetterman, 2000;Fetterman & MacEwen, 1989;Hope & Santi, 2004;Roberts, Macuda, & Brodbeck, 1995;Santi & Hope, 2001). In the studies by Roberts et al. and Santi and Hope, pigeons were presented with sample stimuli consisting of two flashes of light in 4 sec (2f/4) or eight flashes of light in 4 sec (8f/4). These sample sequences will be referred to as few and many in the present paper. A peck to one comparison stimulus (e.g., red) was reinforced if the sample number was few, and a peck to the other comparison stimulus (e.g., green) was reinforced if the sample number was many. Pigeons' memory for number was assessed by inserting delay intervals of varying length between termination of the sample sequence and the onset of the comparison stimuli. At delays greater than the baseline training delay, pigeons responded with higher accuracy following the few sample, whereas response accuracy following the many sample dropped well below chance (Roberts et al., 1995;Santi & Hope, 2001). This result is referred to as the choose-few effect because pigeons are biased to respond to the comparison stimulus that was correct for the smaller number sample as the delay interval is extended beyond baseline training.The choose-few effect for number and the choose-short effect for time have been viewed as support for the hypothesis that there is a common mechanism for the processing of temporal and numerical information in pigeons (Roberts & Mitchell, 1994). The common mechanism is the accumulation of pulses generated by an internal clock as outlined in the mode-contr...

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supporting

confidence: 58%

mentioning

confidence: 76%

Pigeons’ memory for sequences of light flashes when gap duration is an unreliable discriminative cue

Keough

Santi

Rooyen

2007

Learning & Behavior

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“…When subsequently tested at delays longer than the training delay, pigeons demonstrate a choose-short effect (e.g., , 1998Grant & Spetch, 1991, 1993, 1994Kraemer, Mazmanian, & Roberts, 1985;Santi, Bridson,& Ducharme, 1993;Spetch, 1987;Spetch & Rusak, 1992a;Spetch & Wilkie, 1982, 1983Wilkie, 1987). That is, when tested at delays longer than the training delay, pigeons tend to choose the comparison associated with the short sample.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, when tested at delays longer than the training delay, pigeons tend to choose the comparison associated with the short sample. The dominant explanation maintains that pigeons code durations in a retrospective, analogical form and that the choose-short effect arises because the analogical representation foreshortens during a delay interval (e.g., Grant, 1993;Grant & Spetch, 1991, 1993Grant et al, 1997;Roberts, Macuda, & Brodbeck, 1995;Santi et al, 1993;Spetch, Grant, & Kelly, 1996;Spetch & Rusak, 1992b;Spetch & Wilkie, 1982, 1983.…”

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confidence: 99%

Memory for empty time intervals in pigeons

Grant

2001

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Pigeons were trained to discriminate short (2 sec) and long (8 sec) empty intervals that began each trial. In group consistent, onset of an empty interval was marked by a brief presentation of red keylight, and termination of the interval was marked by a brief presentation of green keylight. In group inconsistent, red and green served equally often as the first and second markers across trials. Testing revealed that, in group consistent, (1) birds were sensitive to the relation between marker color and marker type and (2) presentation of the second marker did not initiate timing a new interval. Testing also revealed a robust choose-long effect at delays longer than the training delay and indifference between the comparisons on no-sample trials. Both of the latter findings differ from those typically obtained when filled intervals are employed. It was concluded that pigeons process filled and empty intervals differently.

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“…Pigeons also appear to retain a categorical code for duration if more than one type of sample is associated with each comparison stimulus (Grant & Spetch, 1993;Santi et al, 1993). In these tasks, pigeons do not show an increasing tendency to make responses appropriate to the shorter sample as the delay increases.…”

Section: Temporal Codingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A step function in pigeons’ temporal generalization in the peak shift task

Chen

1998

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Pigeons were reinforced for pecking a key following one signal duration (S+) but not following another signal duration (S-). The S+ and S-were 2.52 and 5.67 sec, respectively, counterbalanced across birds. Subsequent generalization tests with a range of signal durations revealed a step function, with high response rates for all durations on the S+ side of the distribution, low response rates for all durations on the S-side, and an intermediate rate for the intermediate duration. A comparison group of pigeons trained with only the S+ duration showed a flat generalization function. For the discriminationtrained birds, the delay between signal termination and opportunity to respond was subsequently varied during generalization testing. A step function again appeared, and no evidence of subjective shortening over the delay was found. The overall pattern of results suggests that the birds categorized the temporal signal into two classes and retained a categorical code over the delay.Understanding how antecedent stimuli gain control over reinforced responding is an important part of the experimental analysis ofbehavior. Stimulus control is reflected by changes in responding as a function of changes in some aspect of the training stimulus. Generalization (similar responding despite variation in the stimulus) and discrimination (responding differently when the stimulus is changed) are opposite ends of a continuum of stimulus control.Guttman and Kalish (1956) conducted a classic study ofstimulus control. Pigeons were intermittently reinforced for pecking a key in the presence of a monochromatic light source. The spectral stimulus used in training varied across groups of pigeons. Subsequent generalization tests with a range of spectral wavelengths on either side of and including the training value showed orderly generalization gradients, with highest response rates at the training value and decreasing rates of responding at increasingly different test values.The nature ofstimulus generalization has since received a great deal of experimental attention. One general finding has been that generalization gradients become sharper after discrimination training, in which periods of reinforced responding in the presence of a positive training This research was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ofCanada research grant held by the first author. The authors thank M. Johnston, D. Kelly, and S. Reid for assistance with the research. Correspondence should be addressed to M. L. Spetch, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9 (e-mail: mspetch@psych.ualberta.ca).ortoK.Cheng. School of Behavioural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia (e-mail: kcheng@bunyip.bhs.mq.edu.au).-Accepted by previous editor; Robert A. Rescorla stimulus (S+) are intermixed with periods during which responding is not reinforced in the presence of a negative stimulus (S-). Moreover, intradimensional discrimination training, in which the S+ and S-differ only along the dim...

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Memory codes for temporal and nontemporal samples in many-to-one matching by pigeons

Cited by 72 publications

References 34 publications

Pigeons’ memory for sequences of light flashes when gap duration is an unreliable discriminative cue

Pigeons’ memory for sequences of light flashes when gap duration is an unreliable discriminative cue

Memory for empty time intervals in pigeons

A step function in pigeons’ temporal generalization in the peak shift task

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