Observational learning in budgerigars

Dawson, Betty V.; Foss, Brian

doi:10.1016/0003-3472(65)90108-9

Cited by 200 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…There have been other studies of the effect of a trained bird upon the learning ability of an untrained one, confronted with negative stimuli (Klopfer, 1958(Klopfer, , 1959Dawson & Foss, 1965). Their conclusions are similar to ours.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

A test of Klopfer’s empathic learning hypothesis

Sexton¹,

Fitch²

1967

Psychon Sci

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Klopfer, (1957) proposed that naive ducks could learn to avoid a potentially dangerous situation by observing the behavior of experienced ducks toward it. Such second-hand learning was termed empathic. The domain of this hypothes is was extended and tested under less stringent conditions. Forty pairs of chicks were used. The demonstration bird was presented with a series of mealUiorm larvae, varying in color pattern and palatability, and the number of trials it took for each bird to reject five such larvae in succession was recorded. The observer birds were then exposed to the same test. There was no decrease in the number of trials to reach criterion. Klopfer (1957) proposed that naive ducks could learn to avoid dangerous prey by observing and imitating the reactions of other experienced ducks to them. He termed this imitative behavior empathic. His hypothesis is attractive because of its usefulness in explaining how naive predators avoid dangerous and distinctive prey without previous first-hand experience. In his tests the original learners were exposed to two feeding dishes, one of which was marked uniquely and connected to an electric grid and which they learned to avoid. Under certain conditions the observer ducks also learned to avoid the wired dishes, presumably without the benefit of first-hand experience. Klopfer then showed that a second generation of observer birds also learned to avoid the wired dish by watching the first generation of observers. If one assumes that avoidance of harmful situations can be learned vicariously under harsh conditions, one might further assume that the same process would occur to a lesser extent under less harsh, but still negative conditions. The present study was designed to test Klopfer's hypothesis under experimental conditions less stringent than he imposed. MethodThe prey were Tenebrio larvae of one of two basic types, each further subdivided. The first group, the models, were those larvae dipped into a 10% solution of a quinine dihydrochloride solution. Larvae of the second type, the mimics, were dipped into tap water. The terms model and mimic as used here are operationally defined. Members of each type either were painted red on segments 4-7 or remained unpainted. The proportion of models to mimics presented to the chicks was about 4:1, with a random order of presentation.The predators were white leghorn chicks hatched in our laboratory and then placed together in a standard incubator where they were fed and watered ad lib. Birds were selected for the actual experiment Psychon. Sci.. 1967. Vol. 7 (5) by testing their response to full-sized T enebrio larvae. Only those birds which initially accepted both the model and mimic appropriate to the experimental treatment were used as original learners; only those birds which initially accepted the assigned mimic were used as observers. Birds were individually marked, weighed, and designated as a member of a pair (A or B) or of a trio (A, B or C).The tests were run in a double-compartmented canary breeding cage, each c...

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

A test of Klopfer’s empathic learning hypothesis

Sexton¹,

Fitch²

1967

Psychon Sci

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“…An arguably more robust test of action-imitation that has been developed is the two-way model (Dawson & Foss, 1965). In this approach, participants are divided into 2 groups and both view different ways of performing an action, such as 2 ways to open a box to obtain a reward.…”

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinematic Measures of Imitation Fidelity in Primary School Children

Williams

Casey

Braadbaart

et al. 2014

Journal of Cognition and Development

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“…Akins and Zentall, 1996;Bach and Tipper, 2007;Berger and Hadley, 1975;Dawson and Foss, 1965;Voelkl and Huber, 2000), but, on closer examination, it becomes clear that none of these studies isolated the effects of effector observation from those of movement observation.…”

Section: The Mirror Neuron System and Imitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience-based priming of body parts: A study of action imitation

et al. 2008

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Abstract:Two important dimensions of action are the movement and the body part with which the movement is effected. Experiment 1 tested whether automatic imitation is sensitive to the body part dimension of action. We found that hand and foot movements were selectively primed by observation of a corresponding, task-irrelevant effector in motion.Experiment 2 used this body part priming effect to investigate the role of sensorimotor learning in the development of imitation. The results showed that incompatible training, in which observation of hand movements was paired with execution of foot movements and vice versa, led to a greater reduction in body part priming than compatible training, in which subjects experienced typical contingencies between observation and execution of hand and foot movements. These findings are consistent with the assumption that overt behavioral imitation is mediated by the mirror neuron system, which is somatotopically organized. Our results also support the hypothesis that the development of imitation and the mirror neuron system are driven by correlated sensorimotor learning. Section: Cognitive and behavioral neuroscience

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Observational learning in budgerigars

Cited by 200 publications

References 3 publications

A test of Klopfer’s empathic learning hypothesis

A test of Klopfer’s empathic learning hypothesis

Kinematic Measures of Imitation Fidelity in Primary School Children

Experience-based priming of body parts: A study of action imitation

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