Inexpensive solid-state peck key for the operant conditioning of small birds

Abstract

Inexpensive piezo ceramic disks make ideal keypeck switches for use in the operant conditioning of passerine birds. The advantage of solid-state keys over conventional microswitches is that their sensitivity may be adjusted to detect extremely gentle pecks. The advantage of this piezoelectric system over optical detection is the lack of problems due to misalignment and contamination. Instructions are provided for constructing both the peck key and the accompanying interface circuitry. © 1987 Psychonomic Society, Inc.