Cognition in Sticklebacks: Some Experiments On Operant Conditioning

There are two main aspects under which to discuss the authors experiments, constraints on conditioning and cognition. The constraints on conditioning concern the problem the authors set out to explore: is it possible to change the rate of any activity in a stickleback's repertoire by a reinforcement schedule? They demonstrated that a 10 sec presentation of a ripe female is a highly effective reinforcement to increase the rate of ringswimming. They conclude that the fish has really learned the contingency of glueing and female presentations, and that the experiments, quite apart from a possible effect on the response rate, clearly demonstrate cognition in sticklebacks.