THE SHAPE CHALLENGE - 3 x 10 minutes Can your bird recognise shapes?
This is both a discrimination test and a learning test. First it has to be able to distinguish between the shapes, and then it has to learn that the shape is a sign that a reward hides beneath.
What do I need?
Wholemeal bread
Pastry cutters in different shapes (or scissors if you don't have these)
Honey or some other spreadable food
Step 1: Cut three different shapes out of the wholemeal bread slices. Make sure you have three of each, eg three triangles, three stars, three circles.
Step 2: Select one shape, and spread honey on one side.
Step 3: Place a set of three different shapes in front of your bird. Make sure that the one with the honey on is honey side down.
Step 4: Let your bird explore the shapes, and eat them if it wishes.
Step 5 A few hours later, repeat steps 2, 3 and 4, making sure the honey is spread on the same shape as before.
Step 6: A few hours later again, introduce your bird to another set of the three different shapes, but this time don't put honey on any of them. How does your bird react?
Results:
A - Bird immediately picks the shape with the honey on
B - Bird hesitates, then picks the shape with the honey on
C - Bird picks another shape, or ignores them altogether
If option A - Your bird has quickly learnt that one of the shapes is associated with the reward. This is pretty clever. To distinguish between the shapes, your bird had to notice the fine details of the shapes, for example number of sides or number of corners. Then it had to make the connection between one of these concepts and the treat.
If option B - Your bird seems to have associated one of the shapes with the reward. This is pretty clever. To distinguish between the shapes, your bird had to notice the fine details of the shapes, for example number of sides or number of corners. Then it had to make the connection between one of these concepts and the treat. There is a chance, however, that your bird picked up the right shape by accident.
If option C - Your bird hasn't associated the shape with the reward. This may be because it wasn't able to distinguish between the different shapes. It could be because it hasn't been given enough time to make the connection, or it could be that it didn't feel that the honey was enough of a reward to go to all the effort.
