Effects of discriminability, probability of reinforcement, and handling cost on visual search and prey choice

Abstract

Pigeons searched for two targets that varied in similarity to items in the background. The targets, simulating “prey,” were small alphabetic characters presented on computer monitors among distractor characters. In the first experiment, the probability of reinforcement for pecking at the targets was manipulated. In the second experiment, the response requirement for one of the targets was varied. Changing the probability of reinforcement led to more efficient search and increased choice for the more reinforced item. This effect carried over to subsequent equal reinforcement baseline conditions. Increasing the response requirement for one item increased response time for that item and reduced choice of the item. This effect did not carry over to a subsequent baseline condition. The results suggested that a high probability of reinforcement resulted in improved detection of the item, perhaps through perceptual learning, and increased the incentive that motivated response to the item, but that high response requirement resulted only in an incentive shift.