The effect of display timing on change blindness in pigeons (Columba livia).

Researchers worked with three pigeons in a small lab chamber.

The birds pecked a center key to start a trial.

Two side keys then lit up with colored squares.

Sometimes one square changed color after a flash.

The team varied how long the squares stayed on: 0.1, 0.5, 2, or 8 seconds.

They counted how often the bird correctly pecked the key that changed.

Longer display times boosted correct choices.

At 0.1 s the birds averaged 55 % right—barely above chance.

At 8 s they scored 85 % right.

More time let the pigeons scan both squares and spot the difference.

Davison et al. (1989) used the same pigeon setup, but tested methadone instead of timing.

Both studies show single-case designs can cleanly map how one variable shifts behavior.

Capriotti et al. (2017) also tweaked a schedule parameter—DRO length—with kids, not birds.

Together these papers prove parametric scans work across species and settings.

If you run matching-to-sample or visual discrimination tasks, give learners enough look time.

A fast 1-s flash may handicap kids the same way it hurt pigeons.

Try stretching stimulus displays to 3–5 s before requiring a response.

More scan time could cut errors and reduce frustration in early learner programs.