A comparison of learning performance of dwarf goats in visual discrimination tasks with two or four simultaneously offered stimuli

A comparison of learning performance of dwarf goats in visual discriminatio n tasks with two or four simultaneously offered stimuli (two-choice and fou r-choice design) was carried out with the automatic learning device 'Field Monitor'. One S+ Stimulus and three identical S- Stimuli by the four-choice design, and one S+ Stimulus and one S- Stimulus (the same patterns as by f our choice) by two-choice design were offered. In both experimental designs the positions of stimuli (simple geometric figures) on the screen changed pseudo-randomly after each choice. Since the seventh test day the proportion of successfully learning kids by the four-choice design was substantially higher than that for the two-choic e design. Our finding makes it questionable whether the internationally acc epted two-choice design is really optimal. In our further experiments in wh ich over 200 animals have been examined for several months the four-choice design has been involved providing a very successful learning.