A QUICK AND SIMPLE METHOD FOR MAGAZINE TRAINING THE PIGEON

Pigeons are usually magazine trained before they are trained to peck a response key for food reinforcement. Magazine training aids in adapting out emotional responses generated by the noise accompanying food delivery and the sudden illumination of the food aperture (Ferster & Skinner, 1957). This training expedites building a specific response into S's behavioral repertoire by ensuring that reinforcement immediately follows appropriate responding. In the usual procedure (Ferster & Skinner, 1957) E waits for the bird to discover and eat grain from an open magazine. This is followed by repeated manual operations of the magazine until the bird eats without delay while food is briefly presented. The initial operation of the food magazine invariably elicits a startle response which must be adapted out before the pigeon will again approach and eat. One unfortunate concomitant of this approach is the involvement of accidental contingencies affording an opportunity for the development of superstitious behaviors which must be broken up before conditioning can proceed effectively. As a consequence, the method frequently proves timeconsuming and exhausting. Recently a simple yet effective alternative has evolved in this laboratory, yielding a substantial savings in time and effort. The procedure to be summarily described has been independently employed by several workers. Ss were adult White Kings and Silver Kings of undetermined sex. The apparatus was a pigeon box of standard design (Ferster & Skinner, 1957). A translucent response key was mounted on one wall of the compartment above the food aperture. The interior of the chamber was illuminated by two 7y2-w house lights. In each instance, the experimental chamber was removed from its soundproof ventilated environment, and magazine training and shaping were undertaken with the top or side open and the room lights extinguished. Throughout training, the response key was transilluminated with green light. During each operation of the food magazine, the house lights and key light were extinguished and the food aperture was illuminated. The pigeon was introduced to the appararus securely held by E so that its wings were pinned to its sides and was positioned with its feet resting on the floor of the compartment facing the food magazine. While maintaining his grasp on the bird, E closed a manual operate switch with his free hand to raise the food tray and illuminate the aperture. E then pushed the pigeon's beak down into the food aperture and held it there until the bird ate some of the grain. At this point, the food tray was lowered and raised again immediately. This sequence was repeated several times until the bird no longer showed an emotional response to auditory and visual stimuli produced by operation of the magazine. The pigeon was then slowly released and allowed to move freely about the box. Final conditioning to peck the lighted key was bcgn when it was determined that the bird would move quickly toward the food magazlne from any position in the box upon presentation of the magazine stimuli. Magaz~ne training in the manner described was accomplished for 12 Ss in an average of less than 1 min., a striking reduction in the amount of time (often 20 min. or more) ordinarily required in this phase of the conditioning process.