Pigeons, portals, and Pacman
Insightful problem solving and navigation using a touchscreen video game
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10244404 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rafael S Rodrigues (0000-0001-6273-864X, Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil, corresponding author), Cyrus Kirkman (0000-0002-6497-8302, Department of Psychology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA), Miriam Garcia‐Mijares (0000-0002-8023-5445, Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil), Aaron P Blaisdell (0000-0002-6063-1010, Department of Psychology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 125 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | e70083-e70083 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-5002 • E-ISSN: 1938-3711 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/jeab.70083 |
| PMID | 41622116 |
| OpenAlex | W7127053126 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 55 |
Video games have been used in several studies to investigate problem solving. We present empirical findings from a redesigned touchscreen navigation “grid‐world” procedure resembling the classic video game PacMan (hereafter, “pacman”) played by pigeons. Our objective was to develop a procedure to study insight, similar to that of Epstein et al. (1984). During Training Phase 1, pigeons learned to guide a virtual pacman across a touchscreen arena to a banana goal (triggering an “eating” animation and food delivery) and to navigate around barriers. In Training Phase 2, they learned to traverse portals that transported the pacman across the arena. Each tool was trained in a distinct context: barrier navigation with banana targets and portal use with a green dot target. Finally, we tested for functional generalization of the two learned tools in a series of novel configurations of puzzle tasks (insight tests). Results showed that some subjects were able to learn how to navigate the pacman with a high degree of control and showed evidence for functional generalization and insight
Animation · Generalization · Mobile device · Touchscreen · Traverse · Video game · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
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Current status of research and theory in human problem solving
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |