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Conceptualization of Natural and Artificial Stimuli by Pigeons
Book chapter

Conceptualization of Natural and Artificial Stimuli by Pigeons

Edward A Wasserman and Ramesh S Bhatt
Cognitive Aspects of Stimulus Control, pp.203-223
Psychology Press, 1
1992
DOI: 10.4324/9781315789101-10

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Abstract

Is conceptual behavior uniquely human? Or do other animals exhibit conceptual behavior? Since C. Lloyd Morgan first raised the possibility of conceptual behavior in animals, the matter has been hotly debated. Our own research on this issue has shown—with two quite different experimental methods—that pigeons readily learn and generalize four-category discriminations based upon full-color snapshots of natural (cats, flowers, humans) and artificial (cars, chairs) stimuli. Beyond these demonstrations, we have explored several factors that affect the speed of learning and the breadth of generalization. Learning is enhanced by arranging the collections of snapshots to coincide with human language categories, by repeating particular pictures, and by decreasing the number of pictures per category. Generalization is enhanced by increasing the number of pictures per category during original learning and by preserving the orientation of the snapshot during testing. Additional studies have shown that categorization is possible with nonrepeating stimuli, that test performance on previously repeated stimuli surpasses performance on novel test stimuli, and that confusions are more likely among stimuli from the same human language category than among stimuli from different language categories. These and other results not only persuade us that pigeons do learn concepts, but that the processes of conceptualization in animals resemble those of conceptualization in humans. The most important finding was that accuracy to new stimuli was directly related to the number of examples shown in each session during original learning. If the correct key was pecked for reporting the stimulus on the viewing screen, all the visual and auditory stimuli were turned off and the pigeon was fed mixed grain; if the response was to any of the three incorrect report keys, all report key lights and the auditory stimulus were turned off and the trial was repeated. All the work described so far has involved stimuli that were repeated—either between daily sessions or both between and within daily sessions. The fact that similarity relationships among category members may be important in determining the ease of categorization learning with facial stimuli is hardly unique. The pigeons were then tested with the 44 stimuli that were used during original training, but not during reassignment training.
 Original Training Group Nr White Throated Sparrows Human Visual Search Secondary Generalization Physical Similarity Attentional Preference Report Key Multiple Schedule Correct Choice Responses Pictorial Stimuli Generalization Decrement Language Categories Categorization Learning Search Asymmetry True Category Stimulus Class Experiments 1A Relative Numerosity American Psychological Association Conceptual Behavior Rank Order Scores Training Slides Discriminative Performance

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