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THE VISUAL ACUITY OF THE PIGEON FOR DISTANT TARGETS 1
Author(s) -
Blough Patricia M.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1971.15-57
Subject(s) - stimulus (psychology) , audiology , mathematics , visual acuity , psychophysics , artificial intelligence , computer vision , optics , computer science , psychology , physics , medicine , perception , neuroscience , cognitive psychology
The acuity of six pigeons was measured in an apparatus that required the birds to make visual discriminations at a distance of 28.75 in. (73 cm) from the stimulus targets. The stimuli were black and white gratings of varying stripe width. A forced choice procedure was used, and both the Method of Constant Stimuli and a descending series technique determined the order of stimulus presentation. Thresholds, obtained by interpolating at the 25% error point on the psychometric functions, ranged from 1.16 to 4.0 min of arc. Thresholds measured in the same apparatus for two human observers were 0.79 and 0.82 min of arc. The descending series design produced lower per cent error rates at the widest stripe value, but otherwise there appeared to be no difference between psychophysical methods. Position preferences occurred in most of the birds; differential per cent error functions and differential latency functions to the two keys illustrate these. Retinal histology revealed shallow, centrally located foveae in the three pigeon breeds used.