Autoshaping or sign tracking
Pigeons will learn to peck a lighted key that predicts food, even though the food is not contingent on pecking the key (Brown & Jenkins, 1968)
But the key peck is not an operant:
- Pigeons autoshape even if the response is prevented by a plexiglass barrier.
- Pigeons peck the key differently for food and water reinforcers (Jenkins & Moore, 1973).
- Male pigeons learn to court a light that predicts access to their mates (Rackham, 1971).