Date of Award
12-1986
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. R. Wayne Fuqua
Second Advisor
Dr. Jack Michael
Third Advisor
Dr. Alan Poling
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Three pigeons were presented with a serial learning task involving a sequence of three colors: yellow, green and red. The colors appeared on a lit key one at a time in random order. The pigeons were required to peck the colors in the correct order and to use a second lit key (the changeover key) to change the color when it was incorrect. The data show that the pigeons were able to learn the task and generalize to novel arrays at a high level of accuracy. This extends the findings on serial learning with pigeons to a type of sequence where the correct stimuli are not all present at the same time, showing that the birds are capable of learning an even more complex task than previously studied, and providing an opportunity for further nonhuman research on an important type of human behavior.
Recommended Citation
Yutzy-Ryan, Rhoda Kay, "Use of a Changeover Key to Train Serial Learning in the Pigeon" (1986). Masters Theses. 1346.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1346