Proactive effects in pigeons’ timing behavior: Implications for an internal-clock model

Abstract

We have found proactive effects in pigeons’ timing behavior, a finding inconsistent with internal-clock models of timing that assume a resetable working-memory component. Six pigeons were trained to discriminate between 2- and 10-sec illuminations of a white light; choice of a red pecking key was correct and rewarded after presentation of the short stimulus whereas choice of a green key was correct and rewarded after presentation of the long stimulus. During training sessions, there were 60 trials separated by a 20-sec intertriai interval; short and long light occurred in a randomized order and correct choices were reinforced with 5-sec access to grain on a partial (75%) schedule. During test sessions, there were 120 trials separated by a 2-sec intertrial inter val. Light presentations occurred in a fixed order throughout these sessions: 2, 6, 10, 10, 6, 2 2, 6, 10 sec, and so forth. Choice of either red or green after 6 sec was not reinforced. However, red continued to be correct after 2 sec and green continued to be correct after 10 sec. Of central interest was how the subjects classified 6 sec of light in ascending (2, 6, 10) and descending (10. 6, 2) sequences of durations: Subjects chose the short alternative on 42% of the 6-sec trials in ascending series but only 29% in descending series, a result most plausibly interpreted as show ing that duration information from a preceding trial affects duration classifications on the cur rent trial. Such proactive effects should not occur according to working-memory models that as sume that stored information is cleared at the end of a trial.