The touch screen system in the pigeon laboratory: An initial evaluation of its utility

The touch screen system has been employed as a device for the measurement of responses and presentation of stimuli in pigeon laboratories for 4 years. Its contributions to the study of the pigeon’s behavior include the addition of response location information and an increase in the versatility of stimulus presentation. Along with the advantages of this system come some cautions. Limitations on response registration and time to construct stimuli are both concerns. Using response location as a dependent variable and distance of response registration from the pecking surface as an independent variable, the affordance of the touch screen system is investigated.