Ontogeny of passive avoidance learning in domestic chicks: Punishment of key-peck and running responses.

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Abstract
The effect of the number of prepunishment acquisition trials on the age dependency of passive avoidance (PA) learning of the Vantress .times. Arbor Acre chick was determined in key-peck and runway tests. Chicks (1 and 4 day old) were trained to respond for heat reward, and then, following a variable number of reinforced acquisition trials. the chicks'' responses were punished with aversive wing shocks. The age dependency of PA learning of the young chick is related specifically to the number of reinforced training trials given prior to PA testing. When a large number of prepunishment acquisition trials were given, 1 day old chicks learned as quickly as 4 day old chicks to withhold responding when punished. When only a few acquisition trials preceded PA testing, 1 day old chicks showed significantly less response suppression than 4 day old chicks. The age-dependent changes in PA learning of the chick are not solely due to developmental changes in general inhibitory ability. These PA results suggest that the 1 day old chick, compared with the 4 day old chick, is deficient in learning, or detecting changes in, stimulus and or response-reinforcement contingencies.

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