Report

Categorical learning in pigeons: The role of texture and shape in complex static stimuli

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Troje, Nikolaus F.
Huber, Ludwig
Loidolt, Michaela
Aust, Ulrike
Fieder, Martin

Abstract / Description

Pigeons are known to be able to categorize a wide variety of visual stimulus classes. However, it remains unclear which are the characteristics of the perceptually relevant features employed to reach such good performance. Here, we investigate the relative contributions of texture and shape information to categorization decisions about complex natural classes. We trained three groups of pigeons to discriminate between sets of photorealistic frontal images of human faces according to sex and subsequently tested them on different stimulus sets. Only the pigeons that were presented with texture information were successful at the discrimination task. Pigeons seem to possess a sophisticated texture processing system but are less capable in discriminating shapes. The results are discussed in terms of the possible evolutionary advantages of utilizing texture as a very general and potent perceptual dimension in the birds visual environment.

Keyword(s)

Taube Kategorisierung Gesicht Unterscheidung Mustererkennung Taube Kategorisierung Gesicht Unterscheidung Mustererkennung Pigeons categorization discrimination human faces sophisticated texture processing system

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

1998

Citation

  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Troje, Nikolaus F.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Huber, Ludwig
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Loidolt, Michaela
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Aust, Ulrike
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Fieder, Martin
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2022-11-17T11:03:32Z
  • Made available on
    2007-03-14
  • Made available on
    2015-12-01T10:32:05Z
  • Made available on
    2022-11-17T11:03:32Z
  • Date of first publication
    1998
  • Abstract / Description
    Pigeons are known to be able to categorize a wide variety of visual stimulus classes. However, it remains unclear which are the characteristics of the perceptually relevant features employed to reach such good performance. Here, we investigate the relative contributions of texture and shape information to categorization decisions about complex natural classes. We trained three groups of pigeons to discriminate between sets of photorealistic frontal images of human faces according to sex and subsequently tested them on different stimulus sets. Only the pigeons that were presented with texture information were successful at the discrimination task. Pigeons seem to possess a sophisticated texture processing system but are less capable in discriminating shapes. The results are discussed in terms of the possible evolutionary advantages of utilizing texture as a very general and potent perceptual dimension in the birds visual environment.
    en
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bsz:291-psydok-9328
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11780/1047
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.8999
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Keyword(s)
    Taube
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Kategorisierung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Gesicht
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Unterscheidung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Mustererkennung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Taube
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Kategorisierung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Gesicht
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Unterscheidung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Mustererkennung
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Pigeons
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    categorization
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    discrimination
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    human faces
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    sophisticated texture processing system
    en
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Categorical learning in pigeons: The role of texture and shape in complex static stimuli
    en
  • DRO type
    report
  • Visible tag(s)
    PsyDok