Operant conditioning in the newly hatched quail : Fixed interval performance.

Newly hatched quails and adult controls of the species Coturnix coturnix japonica were trained to emit a treadle-pressing response reinforced with food on a Fixed Interval 60 seconds schedule, at a pace of 4 or 5 sessions a day. The young subjects were successfully shaped at the fourth day of life. Although response rates were equivalent in young and adults, Curvature Index values and post-reinforcement pause durations were higher for the adult subjects over a 10-day conditioning period. These differences in the temporal regulation of behavior are discussed in relationship with factors involved in developmental studies.