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“Artificial grammar learning” in pigeons: A preliminary analysis

Learning & Behavior volume 31, pages 98–106 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

An avian analogue to humanartificial orsynthetic grammar learning (Reber, 1967) was developed. Pigeons viewed horizontal strings of three to eight colored letters. These strings either conformed to Reber’s artificial grammar or violated it in one or two locations. Pigeons categorized the letter strings asgrammatical (left keypeck) ornongrammatical (right keypeck). Overall accuracy of categorization was above chance to both familiar training strings and to novel transfer strings, thereby satisfying a conventional criterion for learning anabstract concept. The results support amultiple mechanisms point of view according to which pigeons, like humans, learn both abstract concepts and specific strings, or specific parts of strings, in artificial grammar learning tasks.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington

    Walter T. Herbranson

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1530 E., Rm 502, 84112-0251, Salt Lake City, UT

    Charles P. Shimp

Authors
  1. Walter T. Herbranson
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  2. Charles P. Shimp
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Correspondence to Charles P. Shimp.

Additional information

This research was supported in part by a grant from the University of Utah Research Committee and by an NIMH predoctoral fellowship. This work was based on part of the first author’s doctoral dissertation (Herbranson, 2000). The authors thank Thane Fremouw for stimulating conversations on issues related to this research and for his help on a variety of practical matters in the laboratory during early stages of this research.

—Accepted by the previous editorial team of Ralph R. Miller.

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Herbranson, W.T., Shimp, C.P. “Artificial grammar learning” in pigeons: A preliminary analysis. Learning & Behavior 31, 98–106 (2003). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195973

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Keywords

  • Concept Learning
  • Animal Behavior Process
  • Nonhuman Animal
  • Visual Concept
  • Artificial Grammar