Interhemispheric transfer of a discrimination of moving patterns in pigeon

Abstract

This study determined whether the interhemispheric mirror image reversal phenomenon previously observed following monocular discrimination training using stationary patterns also occurs with the interhemipheric transfer of information concerning direction of movement. Pigeons were monocularly trained on two problems requiring the discrimination of direction of movement of striped patterns:i.e. left (S+) from right (S−) and up (S+) from down (S−). Following training, pigeons were tested under identical conditions for retention of the problem using only the ‘trained’ eye and for interhemispheric transfer using only the ‘untrained’ eye. Pigeons learned each problem to a comparable degree of accuracy. Performance on the up-down movement problems with the ‘untrained’ eye open indicated veridical interhemispheric transfer. These data are consistent with previous obervations obtained with stationary up-down mirror image patterns. Performance on the left-right movement problems with the ‘untrained’ eye open indicate either confusion or interhemispheric reversal of left-right direction. These data parallel previous observations of interhemispheric reversal of stationary left-right mirror image patterns.