Transitive Inference in Pigeons: Simplified Procedures and a Test of Value Transfer Theory

Minimal procedures for the demonstration of transitive inference (TI) in animals have involved the training of four simultaneous discriminations: for example, A+B-, B+C-, C+D-, and D+E-, followed by the demonstration of a preference for B over D on test trials. In Experiment 1, we found that TI in pigeons can be found with successive training involving A+B-, B+C-, A+C-, C+D-, D+E-, C+E-, and A+E-. In Experiment 2, we found that demonstration of TI did not require inclusion of experience with the nonadjacent stimulus pairs (A+C-, C+E-, A+E-). Experiment 3 provided a test of value transfer theory (VTT; Fersen, Wynne, Delius, & Staddon, 1991). When pigeons were trained with stimulus pairs that did not permit the transitive ordering of stimuli, but did permit the differential transfer of value (e.g., A+B-, C-E+, C+D-, & A+E-), preference for B over D was still found. Analyses of the relation between direct experiences with reinforced and nonreinforced responding and stimulus preferences on test trials failed to support a reinforcement-history account of TI.