-----Original Message-----
From: John Graziano
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 6:53 PM
To: General mickaboo discussion
Subject: [Mickaboo Discuss] New study shows pigeons like to gamble
Interesting implications for foraging and training...
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44199/
Pigeon Gambling: Study Shows Pigeons Have Urge to Gamble
Pigeon gambling? Thats what a scientist at the University of Kentucky is saying in a recent study which showed that, like people, some pigeons take risks to win prizes, according to a news release from the school.
University of Kentucky psychology professor Thomas Zentall has been working with pigeons for more than 35 years. He conducted a study of the birds to test their affinity for gambling through pecking at lights for predetermined numbers of pellets, the news release said.
Professor Zentall said if a pigeon pecked to the left, it would see a green or red light. After 10 seconds, the red light would reward the bird with 10 pellets but the green light would give nothing. Overall the birds would receive two pellets per trial on average, according to Zentall.
Meanwhile, if pecking on the right side, a bird would receive either a blue or yellow light, which both would give out three pellets per trial.
"You'd think that pigeons would choose the right side, but they don't," Zentall said in the news release. The study noted that most birds reliably chose the left side in hopes to get 10 pellets when zero was more likely, although some, like some humans, preferred not to gamble.
Zentall likened the pigeons' behavior to gambling in lotteries and casinos, but noted that a few pigeons do not display this behavior.
"It's more efficient not to gamble, and the likelihood of winning is low, but pigeons do it anyway. And so do people," he said.
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