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  • Insight' in The Pigeon Antecedents and Determinants of An Intelligent Performance

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    The document summarizes an experiment that tested pigeons on a problem-solving task originally used with chimpanzees. The pigeons were given varying training histories to determine the effects on their performance. Pigeons that had acquired relevant skills solved the problem in a similar way to chimpanzees, displaying a period of quiescence before suddenly solving the problem in a smooth, continuous way. This supported the idea that problem-solving is not always trial-and-error and constructs like insight are needed to fully explain intelligent performance.

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    Psicologia del aprendizaje

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    ‘Insight’ in the Pigeon Antecedents and Determinants of an Intelligent Performance

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    The document summarizes an experiment that tested pigeons on a problem-solving task originally used with chimpanzees. The pigeons were given varying training histories to determine the effects on their performance. Pigeons that had acquired relevant skills solved the problem in a similar way to chimpanzees, displaying a period of quiescence before suddenly solving the problem in a smooth, continuous way. This supported the idea that problem-solving is not always trial-and-error and constructs like insight are needed to fully explain intelligent performance.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    5 views1 page

    Insight' in The Pigeon Antecedents and Determinants of An Intelligent Performance

    Uploaded by

    PinPunk
    The document summarizes an experiment that tested pigeons on a problem-solving task originally used with chimpanzees. The pigeons were given varying training histories to determine the effects on their performance. Pigeons that had acquired relevant skills solved the problem in a similar way to chimpanzees, displaying a period of quiescence before suddenly solving the problem in a smooth, continuous way. This supported the idea that problem-solving is not always trial-and-error and constructs like insight are needed to fully explain intelligent performance.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Insightinthepigeon:antecedentsanddeterminants

    ofanintelligentperformance
    R. Epstein*, C. E. Kirshnit, R. P. Lanza & L. C. Rubin
    Department of Psychology and Social Relations, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
    *
    Present address: Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, 11 Ware Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.

    In1917WolfgangKhlerreportedsomeratherextraordinaryinstancesof
    problemsolvingbyanumberofchimpanzees1,andhisobservationshavebeenthe
    subjectofcontroversyeversince2,3.Theperiodofquiescencethatsometimes
    precededthesolution,itssuddenonset,anditssmooth,continuousemergencewere
    profferedasevidencethat(1)contrarytosuggestionsoflearningtheoristsofthe
    day,problemsolvingwasnotnecessarilyatrialanderrorprocess,and(2)
    constructssuchasinsightwerenecessaryforanadequateaccount1,46.Here,inan
    attempttoshedfurtherlightontheseissues,wehavereplicatedwithpigeonsa
    classicproblemwiththatKhlerconfrontedhischimpanzees.Pigeonsthathad
    acquiredrelevantskillssolvedtheprobleminaremarkablychimpanzeelike(and,
    perforce,humanlike)fashion.Thepossiblecontributionsofdifferentexperiences
    weredeterminedbyvaryingthetraininghistoriesofdifferentbirds.Weoffera
    tentativemomenttomomentaccountofasuccessfulperformance.

    References
    1. Khler, W. The Mentality of Apes (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1925).
    2. Chance, M. R. A. Man 60, 130135 (1960).
    3. Weisberg, R. & Alba, J. J. exp. Psychol.: Gen. 110, 169192 (1981). | ISI |
    4. Maier, N. R. F. J. comp. Psychol. 12, 181194 (1931).
    5. Duncker, K. Psychol. Monogr. No. 270 (1945).
    6. Ellen, P. J. exp. Psychol.: Gen. 111, 316325 (1982). | Article | ISI |
    7. Birch, H. G. J. comp. Psychol. 38, 367383 (1945).
    8. Hull, C. L. Psychol. Rev. 42, 219245 (1935).
    9. Epstein, R. & Medalie, S. D. Behav. Analys. Lett. 3, 241247 (1983). | ISI |
    10. Bruner, J. S., Goodnow, J. J. & Austin, G. A. A Study of Thinking (Wiley, New York, 1956).
    11. Koffka, K. The Growth of the Mind (Kegan Paul, London, 1924).
    12. Epstein, R. Behav. Analyst 4, 4355 (1981).

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