On the failure of fowl to adapt to prism induced displacement: Some theoretical analyses

Abstract

Results of perceptual research involving certain species of fowl have prompted the conclusion that fundamentally unique visual-perceptual processes are operative in animals of this type. These findings have also been used as the basis for nativistic arguments concerning the genesis of visual space perception. The methodological and experimental bases for these conclusions are examined, with reference to studies which have employed angularly deviating wedge prisms to transform the visual field. It is proposed that conclusions drawn from previous studies are unwarranted, for the experimental situations did not provide sufficient conditions whereby the animals could change or modify their responses. Suggestions for further research are offered in terms of perceptual learning.