4th Annual WML Academic Symposium

This study tests discrimination and transfer learning in Gallus gallus domesticus (chickens) with a newly developed operant conditioning procedure. Although there is research in the area suggesting color facilitates learning more so than shape, no research was found employing the technique for testing discrimination and transfer learning used in this experiment. Thus, this study involves presentation of both shape and color as a means for acquisition in order to measure whether the chickens exhibit different rates of transfer when presented with two transfer tasks (color task or shape task). With the data gathered from this experiment a new application may be developed for discrimination and transfer training in chickens.