Abstract
Operant generalization, a building block of cognition, has never been studied in neonates. We developed a preparation for newly hatched quail in order to investigate the form of the generalization gradient very early in development. For their first 4–5 days after hatching, northern bobwhite chicks pecked for brief heat presentations while hearing a high-pitched sound repeated at a constant rate (nondifferential training). Tempo generalization was then assessed in extinction. A significantly excitatory average gradient resulted despite minimal postnatal experience.
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This research was supported by NIMH Grant RO1-62225 and NICHD Grant RO1-048423 (to R.L.).
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Schneider, S.M., Lickliter, R. Operant generalization of auditory tempo in quail neonates. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 16, 145–149 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3758/PBR.16.1.145
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/PBR.16.1.145