CHANGES IN OPERANT BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS FOLLOWING BILATERAL FOREBRAIN LESIONS

24 WILD PIGEONS WITH BILATERAL ARCHISTRIATAL LESIONS WERE TYPICALLY DOCILE AND SHOWED AN INCREASED RESPONSE RATE ON A 1-MIN VARIABLE-INTERVAL SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT. SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH LESS PRONOUNCED, CHANGES IN OPERANT BEHAVIOR WERE SEEN IN SS WITH PALEOSTRIATAL AND SEPTAL LESIONS BUT THEIR GENERAL BEHAVIOR DIFFERED FROM THAT OF SS WITH ARCHISTRIATAL INJURY. SS WITH PALEOSTRIATAL DAMAGE SHOWED A TRANSIENT APHAGIA POSTOPERATIVELY AND RESUMED NORMAL ACTIVITY, WHILE SS WITH SEPTAL LESIONS DISPLAYED TYPICAL SIGNS OF INCREASED FEAR. THE SEQUELAE OF ARCHISTRIATAL LESIONS IN THE PIGEON SEEM COMPARABLE TO THE KNOWN EFFECTS OF AMYGDALOIDECTOMY IN MAMMALS. (15 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.