Often, purebred white pigeons are used, but it's also cheap and easy to use feral pigeons (as captured in barns after dusk by Amish boys). Pigeons have excellent vision, but they do have two foveas in each eye (one is for identifying predators from above, such as owls or hawks) and they don't have frontal vision. Rats, on the other hand, have a very short life cycle (gestation of about 30 days), are pretty fertile, easy to raise, and it's easy to keep their strain pure. It's also easy to sex rats, not so easy with pigeons. Parakeets (budgies) conveniently and naturally have either a blue or pink band across the top of their beaks (nature nicely made it blue for boys, pink for girls), so it is easy to tell the males and females apart. Pigeons prefer to keep it among themselves.
I remember having to dust the pigeons for mites--put them in a paper bag with Sevin powder, shake it around a little, and hold my breath. It's no wonder I developed asthma. Carol Carol L. DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Psychology St. Ambrose University 518 West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa 52803 Phone: 563-333-6482 e-mail: devoldercar...@sau.edu web: http://web.sau.edu/psychology/psychfaculty/cdevolder.htm The contents of this message are confidential and may not be shared with anyone without permission of the sender. -----Original Message----- From: Paul Brandon [mailto:paul.bran...@mnsu.edu] Sent: Tue 4/21/2009 3:12 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] info: pigeons or rats The main reasons that Skinner switched from rats to pigeons were: 1. Their visual system (in terms of acuity and color sensitivity) is much like humans. 2. They were available for free on the window sill of his lab on the 7th floor of the Pillsbury flour mill that he used during WWII. He was working (with Army support) on a pigeon guided bomb, so pigeons were an ideal subject. He and his students continued to work with them. On the other hand, rats (and monkeys) are preferred for behavioral pharmacology work. To answer your question as written: Both species can be and are used to DEMONSTRATE operant conditioning principles. Their use in experimental research depends on the experimental question being asked. On Apr 20, 2009, at 2:53 PM, msylves...@copper.net wrote: > > Are pigeons preferred in demonstrating conditioning principles than > rats or vice versa? > > What are the pros and cons? Paul Brandon Emeritus Professor of Psychology Minnesota State University, Mankato paul.bran...@mnsu.edu --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
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