Color-discrimination performance of pigeons: effects of reward

Abstract

Performance of two pigeons given tasks in discriminating colors was examined on trials before and after they had occasionally received rewards for pecking when exposed to light of specific wavelengths. After a reward, the probability that the birds would respond to light svtimuli that were never rewarded was higher than before the reward was given, but paradoxically the birds showed no general decline in their ability to differentiate between stimuli at wavelengths 1 millimicron apart.