Records |
Author |
Pepperberg, I.M.; Brezinsky, M.V. |
Title |
Acquisition of a relative class concept by an African gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus): discriminations based on relative size |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
1991 |
Publication |
Journal of Comparative Psychology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Comp Psychol |
Volume |
105 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
286-294 |
Keywords |
Animals; Aptitude; *Concept Formation; *Discrimination Learning; Form Perception; Male; Mental Recall; *Parrots; *Size Perception; Vocalization, Animal |
Abstract |
We report that an African gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus), Alex, responds to stimuli on a relative basis. Previous laboratory studies with artificial stimuli (such as pure tones) suggest that birds make relational responses as a secondary strategy, only after they have acquired information about the absolute values of the stimuli. Alex, however, after learning to respond to a small set of exemplars on the basis of relative size, transferred this behavior to novel situations that did not provide specific information about the absolute values of the stimuli. He responded to vocal questions about which was the larger or smaller exemplar by vocally labeling its color or material, and he responded “none” if the exemplars did not differ in size. His overall accuracy was 78.7%. |
Address |
Northwestern University |
Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
Washington, D.C. : 1983 |
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Language |
English |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0735-7036 |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:1935007 |
Approved |
yes |
Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
3610 |
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Author |
Gácsi, M.; Kara, E.; Belényi, B.; Topál, J.; Miklósi, Á. |
Title |
The effect of development and individual differences in pointing comprehension of dogs |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
12 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
471-479 |
Keywords |
Age Factors; Analysis of Variance; Animals; *Association Learning; Attention; Chi-Square Distribution; Choice Behavior; *Comprehension; *Concept Formation; Dogs/*psychology; Female; *Gestures; Humans; Male; Orientation; Statistics, Nonparametric |
Abstract |
In spite of the rather different procedures actually used in comparative studies to test the ability of different species to rely on the human pointing gesture, there is no debate on the high performance of dogs in such tasks. Very little is known, however, on the course through which they acquire this ability or the probable factors influencing the process. Important developmental questions have remained unsolved and also some methodological concerns should be addressed before we can convincingly argue for one interpretation or another. In this study we tested 180 dogs of different age (from 2 months to adults) to investigate their performance in the human distal momentary pointing gesture. The results, analyzed at both the group and the individual levels, showed no difference in the performance according to age, indicating that in dogs the comprehension of the human pointing may require only very limited and rapid early learning to fully develop. Interestingly, neither the keeping conditions nor the time spent in active interaction with the owner, and not even some special (agility) training for using human visual cues, had significant effect on the success and explained individual differences. The performance of the dogs was rather stable over time: during the 20 trials within a session and even when subsamples of different age were repeatedly tested. Considering that in spite of the general success at the group level, more than half of the dogs were not successful at the individual level, we revealed alternative “decision-making rules” other than following the pointing gesture of the experimenter. |
Address |
Department of Ethology, Eotvos University, Budapest, Hungary. gm.art@t-online.hu |
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English |
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ISSN |
1435-9456 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:19130102 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4969 |
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Author |
Zentall, T.R. |
Title |
Mental time travel in animals: a challenging question |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Behavioural processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
Volume |
72 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
173-183 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Columbidae; Concept Formation; Conditioning, Operant; *Imagination; *Memory; Mental Recall; Planning Techniques; Rats; *Time Perception; Transfer (Psychology) |
Abstract |
Humans have the ability to mentally recreate past events (using episodic memory) and imagine future events (by planning). The best evidence for such mental time travel is personal and thus subjective. For this reason, it is particularly difficult to study such behavior in animals. There is some indirect evidence, however, that animals have both episodic memory and the ability to plan for the future. When unexpectedly asked to do so, animals can report about their recent past experiences (episodic memory) and they also appear to be able to use the anticipation of a future event as the basis for a present action (planning). Thus, the ability to imagine past and future events may not be uniquely human. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA. zentall@uky.edu |
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English |
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ISSN |
0376-6357 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:16466863 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
218 |
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Author |
Friedrich, A.M.; Clement, T.S.; Zentall, T.R. |
Title |
Functional equivalence in pigeons involving a four-member class |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Behavioural processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
Volume |
67 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
395-403 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Association Learning; *Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Columbidae; *Concept Formation |
Abstract |
Research suggests that animals are capable of forming functional equivalence relations or stimulus classes of the kind usually demonstrated by humans (e.g., the class defined by an object and the word for that object). In pigeons, such functional equivalences are typically established using many-to-one matching-to-sample in which two samples are associated with one comparison stimulus and two different samples are associated with the other. Evidence for the establishment of functional equivalences between samples associated with the same comparison comes from transfer tests. In Experiment 1, we found that pigeons can form a single class consisting of four members (many-to-one matching) when the alternative class has only one member (one-to-one matching). In Experiment 2, we ruled out the possibility that the pigeons acquired the hybrid one-to-one/many-to-one task by developing a single-code/default coding strategy as earlier research suggested that it might. Thus, pigeons can develop a functional class consisting of as many as four members, with the alternative class consisting of a single member. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA |
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English |
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ISSN |
0376-6357 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:15518989 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
228 |
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Author |
Zentall, T.R.; Galizio, M.; Critchfied, T.S. |
Title |
Categorization, concept learning, and behavior analysis: an introduction |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Exp Anal Behav |
Volume |
78 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
237-248 |
Keywords |
Animals; Association Learning; *Concept Formation; *Discrimination Learning; Humans; Language |
Abstract |
Categorization and concept learning encompass some of the most important aspects of behavior, but historically they have not been central topics in the experimental analysis of behavior. To introduce this special issue of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB), we define key terms; distinguish between the study of concepts and the study of concept learning; describe three types of concept learning characterized by the stimulus classes they yield; and briefly identify several other themes (e.g., quantitative modeling and ties to language) that appear in the literature. As the special issue demonstrates, a surprising amount and diversity of work is being conducted that either represents a behavior-analytic perspective or can inform or constructively challenge this perspective. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506, USA. zentall@pop.uky.edu |
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English |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0022-5002 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:12507002 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
236 |
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Author |
Cheney, D.L.; Seyfarth, R.M.; Silk, J.B. |
Title |
The responses of female baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) to anomalous social interactions: evidence for causal reasoning? |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
1995 |
Publication |
Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Comp Psychol |
Volume |
109 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
134-141 |
Keywords |
Animals; Attention; Auditory Perception; *Awareness; *Concept Formation; *Dominance-Subordination; Fear; Female; Hierarchy, Social; Papio/*psychology; *Social Behavior; Social Environment; Vocalization, Animal |
Abstract |
Baboons' (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) understanding of cause-effect relations in the context of social interactions was examined through use of a playback experiment. Under natural conditions, dominant female baboons often grunt to more subordinate mothers when interacting with their infants. Mothers occasionally respond to these grunts by uttering submissive fear barks. Subjects were played causally inconsistent call sequences in which a lower ranking female apparently grunted to a higher ranking female, and the higher ranking female apparently responded with fear barks. As a control, subjects heard a sequence made causally consistent by the inclusion of grunts from a 3rd female that was dominant to both of the others. Subjects responded significantly more strongly to the causally inconsistent sequences, suggesting that they recognized the factors that cause 1 individual to give submissive vocalizations to another. |
Address |
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0735-7036 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:7758289 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
348 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Cheney, D.L.; Seyfarth, R.M. |
Title |
The representation of social relations by monkeys |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
1990 |
Publication |
Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Cognition |
Volume |
37 |
Issue |
1-2 |
Pages |
167-196 |
Keywords |
Animals; Cercopithecus aethiops/*psychology; Concept Formation; *Dominance-Subordination; Female; Macaca fascicularis/*psychology; Male; *Social Behavior; *Social Environment |
Abstract |
Monkeys recognize the social relations that exist among others in their group. They know who associates with whom, for example, and other animals' relative dominance ranks. In addition, monkeys appear to compare types of social relations and make same/different judgments about them. In captivity, longtailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) trained to recognize the relation between one adult female and her offspring can identify the same relation among other mother-offspring pairs, and distinguish this relation from bonds between individuals who are related in a different way. In the wild, if a vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) has seen a fight between a member of its own family and a member of Family X, this increases the likelihood that it will act aggressively toward another member of Family X. Vervets act as if they recognize some similarity between their own close associates and the close associates of others. To make such comparisons the monkeys must have some way of representing the properties of social relationships. We discuss the adaptive value of such representations, the information they contain, their structure, and their limitations. |
Address |
Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104 |
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English |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0010-0277 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:2269006 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
702 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Horner, V.; Whiten, A. |
Title |
Causal knowledge and imitation/emulation switching in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and children (Homo sapiens) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Animal cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
8 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
164-181 |
Keywords |
Animals; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; *Concept Formation; Female; Humans; *Imitative Behavior; *Learning; Male; Pan troglodytes; *Problem Solving; Psychomotor Performance; *Social Environment; Species Specificity |
Abstract |
This study explored whether the tendency of chimpanzees and children to use emulation or imitation to solve a tool-using task was a response to the availability of causal information. Young wild-born chimpanzees from an African sanctuary and 3- to 4-year-old children observed a human demonstrator use a tool to retrieve a reward from a puzzle-box. The demonstration involved both causally relevant and irrelevant actions, and the box was presented in each of two conditions: opaque and clear. In the opaque condition, causal information about the effect of the tool inside the box was not available, and hence it was impossible to differentiate between the relevant and irrelevant parts of the demonstration. However, in the clear condition causal information was available, and subjects could potentially determine which actions were necessary. When chimpanzees were presented with the opaque box, they reproduced both the relevant and irrelevant actions, thus imitating the overall structure of the task. When the box was presented in the clear condition they instead ignored the irrelevant actions in favour of a more efficient, emulative technique. These results suggest that emulation is the favoured strategy of chimpanzees when sufficient causal information is available. However, if such information is not available, chimpanzees are prone to employ a more comprehensive copy of an observed action. In contrast to the chimpanzees, children employed imitation to solve the task in both conditions, at the expense of efficiency. We suggest that the difference in performance of chimpanzees and children may be due to a greater susceptibility of children to cultural conventions, perhaps combined with a differential focus on the results, actions and goals of the demonstrator. |
Address |
Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JU, UK. vkh1@st-andrews.ac.uk |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1435-9448 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:15549502 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
732 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Pepperberg, I.M. |
Title |
Grey parrot numerical competence: a review |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
4 |
Pages |
377-391 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Comprehension; *Concept Formation; *Mathematics; *Parrots |
Abstract |
The extent to which humans and nonhumans share numerical competency is a matter of debate. Some researchers argue that nonhumans, lacking human language, possess only a simple understanding of small quantities, generally less than four. Animals that have, however, received some training in human communication systems might demonstrate abilities intermediate between those of untrained nonhumans and humans. Here I review data for a Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) that has been shown to quantify sets of up to and including six items (including heterogeneous subsets) using vocal English labels, to comprehend these labels fully, and to have a zero-like concept. Recent research demonstrates that he can also sum small quantities. His success shows that he understands number symbols as abstract representations of real-world collections, and that his sense of number compares favorably to that of chimpanzees and young human children. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA |
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English |
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ISSN |
1435-9448 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:16909236 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2448 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Henderson, J.; Hurly, T.A.; Healy, S.D. |
Title |
Spatial relational learning in rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
201-205 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Association Learning; *Birds; *Concept Formation; Flowers; Form Perception; Male; *Orientation; Reward; Size Perception; *Space Perception; Spatial Behavior |
Abstract |
There is increasing evidence that animals can learn abstract spatial relationships, and successfully transfer this knowledge to novel situations. In this study, rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) were trained to feed from either the lower or the higher of two flowers. When presented with a test pair of flowers, one of which was at a novel height, they chose the flower in the appropriate spatial position rather than the flower at the correct height. This response may also have been influenced by a preference for taller flowers as acquisition of the task during experimental training occurred more readily when the reward flower was the taller of the pair. Thus, it appears that although learning abstract relationships may be a general phenomenon across contexts, and perhaps across species, the ease with which they are learned and the context in which they are subsequently used may not be the same. |
Address |
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK |
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English |
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ISSN |
1435-9448 |
ISBN |
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Notes |
PMID:16767469 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2465 |
Permanent link to this record |