Mechanisms of within-session sequential behavior in pigeons

Correctly and efficiently selecting among options is critical to the organization of behavior across different time scales (minutes, days, seasons). As a result, understanding the mechanisms underlying the sequential behavior of animals has been a long-standing aim. In three experiments, four pigeons were tested in a four-choice simultaneous color discrimination. Across a session, they had to sequentially select a colored stimulus, and the correct color changed over four 24-trial phases (A→B→C→D). After learning this ABCD within-session sequence, tests identified that both timing and outcome feedback mechanisms contributed to the organization of pigeons’ behavior. Different representational mechanisms are considered as accounts for the pigeons’ observed sequential behavior.