Abstract
Pigeons and goldfish received 600 guidance trials on a 70∶30 probability discrimination, with either color or position irrelevant. The fish ended up choosing the majority stimulus on approximately 70% of trials, the pigeons on about 90% of trials. Most Ss in all conditions showed significant biases to one or the other value of the irrelevant dimension, and when they received a further 750 trials on a 50∶50 reinforcement schedule, they either maintained these biases or developed new ones. Neither pigeons nor goldfish, therefore, showed random probability matching.
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This research was supported by Grant APA-259 from the National Research Council of Canada.
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Mackintosh, N.J., Lord, J. & Little, L. Visual and spatial probability learning in pigeons and goldfish. Psychon Sci 24, 221–223 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331805
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331805