The document summarizes an experiment investigating object perception in pigeons. In the experiment, pigeons are trained to peck objects appearing on a touchscreen in order to receive food rewards. The order of the objects is initially presented in a repeating sequence, but is then changed to examine how this disrupts the pigeons' performance. The goal is to determine if pigeons, like humans, bind object and location information together in perceptual memory. Donations are requested to further the research on understanding avian vision.

1. Blaisdell & Schroeder
Object Perception in the Pigeon

2. The pigeon sits in the operant box.
The box is equipped with…
-a touchscreen
-a food hopper
Every few seconds, an object appears
on the screen.
To get food from the hopper, all the
pigeon has to do is peck the object
when it appears.
The faster the pigeon pecks the
object, the sooner it will get fed.
Methods

3. Here are the objects:
Let’s refer to them as objects:
A, B, C, and D.

4. Here is what the screen
looks like before an object
appears.

5. The objects appear in a
specific order that repeats.

6. After the pigeon has played the
game with this repeating sequence,
we change the order of some of the
objects, locations, or both.

7. For an example, go through the
following slides and see if you notice
the sequence. Pay attention to when
the sequence changes!

8. A

9. B

10. C

11. D

12. A

13. B

14. C

15. D

16. A

17. B

18. C

19. D

20. A

21. B

22. C

23. D

24. A

25. B

26. C

27. D

28. A

29. C

30. B

31. D

32. Did you notice the sequence
change?

33. Good job!

34. The normal sequence was (from left to right):
A B
C D
A
B
C
D
We can also change only the location order:
A
C
B
D
The final sequence was switched to:

35. A C
B D
Or object order:
The normal sequence was (from left to right):
A B
C D
A
C
B
D
The final sequence was switched to:

36. Location order changed:
A
B
C
D
Which change do you think will slow the pigeon down
the most?
A C
B D
Object order changed:
A
C
B
D
Both changed?

37. Location order changed:
A
B
C
D
If, like humans, the pigeon binds object and location
information together in perceptual memory,
Then Both changed should be least disruptive!
A C
B D
Object order changed:
A
C
B
D
Both changed?

38. Your contribution will help us achieve our goal:
To find out if birds, such as the pigeon,
perceptually bind objects as do humans and other
primates.

39. This project will advance our knowledge of how
birds see the world.
Do birds see the world the same way that we do?

40. Thanks for your support!
To donate, please go to:
Professor Aaron Blaisdell Julia Schroeder, Ph.D. student
Jubilee,
star research subject
https://experiment.com/projects/how-do-birds-see-the-world