Frontal visual field position and visual discrimination learning in the pigeon (Columba livia).
Item
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Title
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Frontal visual field position and visual discrimination learning in the pigeon (Columba livia).
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Identifier
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AAI9119693
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identifier
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9119693
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Creator
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Yamashita, Hiroshi.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Sheila Chase
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Date
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1991
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Experimental | Psychology, Psychobiology
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Abstract
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The pigeon has a binocular overlap in front within its panoramic visual field supported by its laterally positioned eyes. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible effects of the binocular overlap on shape discrimination learning. In a successive discrimination paradigm, the subjects were trained to discriminate between two stimuli subtending about 2.5{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar} in visual angle. In order to control its position within the frontal visual field, a discriminative stimulus was presented for 50 ms only when the subject pecked at a small fixation point (FP). Nine stimulus positions were located along a horizontal line 2.5 cm (about 20{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar} in visual angle) below the FP with neighboring positions separated by 1.1 cm (about 9{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar}) from each other. The three positions in the center were presumed to be located within the binocular area, and the rest in either of the monocular areas.;Experiment 1 examined the effects of the binocular overlap on visual performance. A discriminative stimulus was presented at one of the 9 positions in each trial. The subjects learned to discriminate between the two stimuli at all positions, and there was little difference in performance among positions. There were no apparent differences in the rate of acquisition.;Experiment 2A and 2B examined the effects on transfer. Seven pigeons were first trained at one of 5 positions which included binocular and monocular positions. Transfer of the discrimination was tested at the 9 positions. Transfer was limited in the vicinity of the training position, and the boundaries between binocular and monocular areas did not appear to limit transfer.;In Experiment 3, the subjects from Experiments 2A and 2B were trained with the same procedure as in Experiment 1. The effect of previous training at a specific position was seen as slower acquisition at positions further away from the training position. After extensive training, however, all subjects learned to discriminate at all positions.;From the results of these experiments, it was suggested that the pigeon's frontal visual field is perceptually homogeneous, and the distinction between binocular and monocular areas does not have effect on visual discrimination.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
