Adaptively and flexibly modifying one's behavior depending on the current demands of the situation is a hallmark of executive function. Here, we examined whether pigeons could flexibly shift their attention from one set of features that were relevant in one categorization task to another set of features that were relevant in a second categorization task. Critically, members of both sets of features were available on every training trial, thereby requiring that attention be adaptively deployed on a trial-by-trial basis based on contextual information. The pigeons not only learned to correctly categorize the stimuli but, as training progressed, they concentrated their pecks to the training stimuli (a proxy measure for attention) on those features that were relevant in a specific context. The pigeons selectively tracked the features that were relevant in Context 1-but were irrelevant in Context 2-and they selectively tracked the features that were relevant in Context 2-but were irrelevant in Context 1. This adept feature tracking requires disengaging attention from a previously relevant feature and shifting attention to a previously ignored feature on a trial-by-trial basis. Pigeons' adaptive and flexible performance provides strong empirical support for the involvement of focusing and shifting attention under exceptionally challenging training conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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鸽类学习中的集中注意力和转移注意力。

根据当前情况的需求适应性和灵活地修改自己的行为是执行功能的一个标志。在这里，我们检查了鸽子是否可以灵活地将注意力从与一个分类任务相关的一组特征转移到另一组与第二个分类任务相关的特征。至关重要的是，这两组特征的成员在每次训练试验中都可用，因此需要根据上下文信息在逐个试验的基础上自适应地部署注意力。鸽子不仅学会了对刺激进行正确分类，而且随着训练的进行，他们将啄食集中在训练刺激（注意力的代理测量）上，这些刺激与特定环境相关的特征。鸽子选择性地跟踪在上下文 1 中相关但在上下文 2 中不相关的特征，它们选择性地跟踪在上下文 2 中相关但在上下文 1 中不相关的特征。这种熟练的特征跟踪需要将注意力从先前的相关特征，并在逐次试验的基础上将注意力转移到以前被忽略的特征上。鸽子的适应性和灵活表现为在极具挑战性的训练条件下集中注意力和转移注意力提供了强有力的经验支持。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2021 APA，保留所有权利）。这种熟练的特征跟踪需要将注意力从先前相关的特征中分离出来，并将注意力转移到先前被忽略的特征上。鸽子的适应性和灵活表现为在极具挑战性的训练条件下集中注意力和转移注意力提供了强有力的经验支持。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2021 APA，保留所有权利）。这种熟练的特征跟踪需要将注意力从先前相关的特征中分离出来，并将注意力转移到先前被忽略的特征上。鸽子的适应性和灵活表现为在极具挑战性的训练条件下集中注意力和转移注意力提供了强有力的经验支持。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2021 APA，保留所有权利）。