The ability to formulate and execute plans is a hallmark of human behaviour. Here we present evidence of planning in pigeons. Subjects were trained to respond to three geometric shapes in a prescribed order. Probe trials were then introduced in which, following a response to the first item, the on screen positions of the second and third item were exchanged. If subjects were planning a sequence of responses at the outset of a trial, we would expect reaction time to the second item to increase, reflecting the updating of a predetermined response plan. This is exactly what was found. Subjects also responded correctly on trials in which, following a response to the first item, stimuli were covered by opaque white squares. Together these results suggest pigeons are able to plan one step ahead on the simultaneous chaining paradigm.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 30 December 2011.
All research outputs
#7,605,073
of 28,841,988 outputs
Outputs from Behavioural Processes
#490
of 1,808 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#44,640
of 193,871 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Behavioural Processes
#4
of 8 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 28,841,988 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 72nd percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,808 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 16.7. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 70% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 193,871 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 75% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 8 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 4 of them.
