The ALDB box: Automatic testing of cognitive performance in groups of aviary-housed pigeons

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Ludwig Huber ; Nils Heise ; Christopher Zeman ; Christian Palmers
• 关键词：Automation ; Operant conditioning ; Pigeon ; Animal welfare
• 刊名：Behavior Research Methods
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：March 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：47
• 期：1
• 页码：162-171
• 全文大小：1,342 KB
• 参考文献：1. Aust, U., Range, F., Steurer, M., & Huber, L. (2008). Inferential reasoning by exclusion in pigeons, dogs, and humans. / Animal Cognition, 11, 587-97. CrossRef
  2. Brown, P. L., & Jenkins, H. M. (1968). Auto-shaping of the pigeon’s keypeck. / Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 11, 1-. CrossRef
  3. Cook, R. G. (1992). Acquisition and transfer of visual texture discriminations by pigeons. / Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 18, 341-53. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.18. 4.341
  4. Cook, R. G., Geller, A. I., Zhang, G., & Gowda, R. (2004). Touchscreen-enhanced visual learning in rats. / Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(1), 101-06. CrossRef
  5. Fagot, J., & Bonté, E. (2010). Automated testing of cognitive performance in monkeys: Use of a battery of computerized test systems by a troop of semi-free-ranging baboons (Papio papio). / Behavior Research Methods, 42(2), 507-16. doi:10.3758/BRM.42.2.507 CrossRef
  6. Fagot, J., Gullstrand, J., Kemp, C., Defilles, C., & Mekaouche, M. (2013). Effects of freely accessible computerized test systems on the spontaneous behaviors and stress level of Guinea baboons (Papio papio). / American Journal of Primatology, in press, doi: 10.1002/ajp.22193
  7. Fagot, J., & Paleressompoulle, D. (2009). Automatic testing of cognitive performance in baboons maintained in social groups. / Behavior Research Methods, 41(2), 396-04. doi:10.3758/BRM.41.2.396 CrossRef
  8. Foster, K. R., & Kokko, H. (2009). The evolution of superstitious and superstition-like behaviour. / Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1654), 31-7. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0981 CrossRef
  9. Gibson, B. M., Wasserman, E. A., Frei, L., & Miller, K. (2004). Recent advances in operant conditioning technology: A versatile and affordable computerized touchscreen system. / Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(2), 355-62. CrossRef
  10. Huber, L. (1994). Amelioration of laboratory conditions for pigeons. / Animal Welfare, 3, 321-24.
  11. Huber, L., Apfalter, W., Steurer, M., & Prossinger, H. (2005). A new learning paradigm elicits fast visual discrimination in pigeons. / Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 31, 237-46.
  12. Morrison, S. K., & Brown, M. F. (1990). The touch screen system in the pigeon laboratory: An initial evaluation of its utility. / Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 22, 123-26. CrossRef
  13. Palmers, C. (1998): Animal feeding apparatus; United States Patent 5758597; June 2, 1998.
  14. Peirce, J. W. (2007). PsychoPy - Psychophysics software in Python. / Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 162(1-), 8-3. doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.11.017 CrossRef
  15. Peirce, J. W. (2008). Generating stimuli for neuroscience using PsychoPy. / Frontiers in Neuroinformatics 2. doi: 10.3389/neuro.11.010.2008.
  16. Pisacreta, R., & Rilling, M. (1987). Infrared touch technology as a response detector in animal research. / Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 19, 389-96. CrossRef
  17. Skinner, B. F. (1932). Drive and reflex strength: II. / Journal of General Psychology, 6, 38-8. CrossRef
  18. Skinner, B. F. (1938). / Behavior of organisms. New York: Appleton Century Crofts.
  19. Skinner, B. F. (1948). Superstition in the pigeon. / Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 168-72. doi:
• 刊物主题：Cognitive Psychology;
• 出版者：Springer US
• ISSN：1554-3528

文摘

The combination of highly controlled experimental testing and the voluntary participation of unrestrained animals has many advantages over traditional, laboratory-based learning environments in terms of animal welfare, learning speed, and resource economy. Such automatic learning environments have recently been developed for primates (Fagot & Bonté, 2010; Fagot & Paleressompoulle, 2009;) but, so far, has not been achieved with highly mobile creatures such as birds. Here, we present a novel testing environment for pigeons. Living together in small groups in outside aviaries, they can freely choose to participate in learning experiments by entering and leaving the automatic learning box at any time. At the single-access entry, they are individualized using radio frequency identification technology and then trained or tested in a stress-free and self-terminating manner. The voluntary nature of their participation according to their individual biorhythm guarantees high motivation levels and good learning and test performance. Around-the-clock access allows for massed-trials training, which in baboons has been proven to have facilitative effects on discrimination learning. The performance of 2 pigeons confirmed the advantages of the automatic learning device for birds box. The latter is the result of a development process of several years that required us to deal with and overcome a number of technical challenges: (1) mechanically controlled access to the box, (2) identification of the birds, (3) the release of a bird and, at the same time, prevention of others from entering the box, and (4) reliable functioning of the device despite long operation times and exposure to high dust loads and low temperatures.