Forgetting of visual discriminations by pigeons. 1984

P J Kraemer

A series of three experiments examined the forgetting of visual discriminations by pigeons. The problems consisted of feature discriminations, with dot displays as the discriminative stimuli, and involved a successive go-no-go pecking response. It was found, in all three experiments, that pigeons trained to refrain from pecking an S- display resumed pecking at this display after retention intervals. It was argued that these data represent the first direct demonstration of forgetting of a discrimination by pigeons. In addition to the simple demonstration of forgetting, it was found in Experiment 1 that the amount of forgetting progressively increased, in a negatively accelerated fashion, over intervals of 1, 10, and 20 days. Also, more S- responses occurred during relearning a reverse discrimination than after relearning a nonreverse discrimination. In Experiment 2, acquisition was retarded and more forgetting occurred for discriminations that involved more highly similar stimuli. In Experiment 3, a change in contextual cues between acquisition and retention testing enhanced forgetting when the contextual cues present during original acquisition were conspicuous; when these cues were relatively inconspicuous, a change in context had no effect on forgetting.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007266 Inhibition, Psychological The interference with or prevention of a behavioral or verbal response even though the stimulus for that response is present; in psychoanalysis the unconscious restraining of an instinctual process. Inhibition (Psychology),Inhibition, Psychology,Psychological Inhibition,Inhibitions (Psychology),Inhibitions, Psychological,Inhibitions, Psychology,Psychological Inhibitions,Psychology Inhibition,Psychology Inhibitions
D008568 Memory Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D010856 Columbidae Family in the order COLUMBIFORMES, comprised of pigeons or doves. They are BIRDS with short legs, stout bodies, small heads, and slender bills. Some sources call the smaller species doves and the larger pigeons, but the names are interchangeable. Columba livia,Doves,Pigeons,Domestic Pigeons,Feral Pigeons,Rock Doves,Rock Pigeons,Domestic Pigeon,Dove,Dove, Rock,Doves, Rock,Feral Pigeon,Pigeon,Pigeon, Domestic,Pigeon, Feral,Pigeon, Rock,Pigeons, Domestic,Pigeons, Feral,Pigeons, Rock,Rock Dove,Rock Pigeon
D012153 Retention, Psychology The persistence to perform a learned behavior (facts or experiences) after an interval has elapsed in which there has been no performance or practice of the behavior. Psychological Retention,Retention (Psychology),Psychology Retention,Retention, Psychological
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D004193 Discrimination Learning Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli. Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014796 Visual Perception The selecting and organizing of visual stimuli based on the individual's past experience. Visual Processing,Perception, Visual,Processing, Visual
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