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Observing Behavior and Information

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Abstract

Pigeons were allowed to peck either of two side keys to produce (observe) a positive or a negative stimulus on a third, middle key. When pecks to one side key resulted in only the positive stimulus signaling fixed-interval 30 sec, and pecks to the other side key likewise resulted only in the negative stimulus signaling extinction 30 sec, the pigeons pecked the positive stimulus key almost exclusively. Two of three pigeons stopped observing when the positive stimulus never occurred. In a second experiment manipulation of the probability of fixed-interval components had a slight effect on observing responses but a larger effect on fixed-interval rate. These results support the inadequacy of an information account of observing behavior.

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Reference Notes

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, USA

    Peter Killeen

  2. Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Bruce Wald & Carl D. Cheney

Authors
  1. Peter Killeen
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  2. Bruce Wald
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  3. Carl D. Cheney
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Additional information

Portions of Experiment 1 were presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association meeting, 1975. The first experiment was conducted at Arizona State University in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree for Bruce A. Wald who is now at Brainerd, Minnesota. Experiment 2 was conducted at Utah State University. The paper has benefited from suggestions by T. D. Dukich. We thank D. A. Wald for clerical assistance.

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Killeen, P., Wald, B. & Cheney, C.D. Observing Behavior and Information. Psychol Rec 30, 181–190 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394668

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