Records |
Author |
Parker, S.T. |
Title |
A general model for the adaptive function of self-knowledge in animals and humans |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
1997 |
Publication |
Consciousness and Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Conscious Cogn |
Volume |
6 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
75-86 |
Keywords |
*Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; *Awareness; Concept Formation; Evolution; Humans; Phylogeny; *Self Concept; Species Specificity |
Abstract |
This article offers a general definition of self-knowledge that embraces all forms and levels of self-knowledge in animals and humans. It is hypothesized that various levels of self-knowledge constitute an ordinal scale such that each species in a lineage displays the forms of self-knowledge found in related species as well as new forms it and its sister species may have evolved. Likewise, it is hypothesized that these various forms of levels of self-knowledge develop in the sequence in which they evolved. Finally, a general hypothesis for the functional significance of self-knowledge is proposed along with subhypotheses regarding the adaptive significance of various levels of self-knowledge in mammals including human and nonhuman primates. The general hypothesis is that self-knowledge serves as a standard for assessing the qualities of conspecifics compared to those of the self. Such assessment is crucial to deciding among alternative reproductive and subsistence strategies. The qualities that are assessed, which vary across taxa, range from the size and strength of the self to its mathematical or musical abilities. This so-called assessment model of self-knowledge is based on evolutionary biological models for social selection and the role of assessment in animal communication. |
Address |
Anthropology Department, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California, USA. Parker@Sonoma.edu |
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English |
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ISSN |
1053-8100 |
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Notes |
PMID:9170562 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4160 |
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Author |
Gould, J.L. |
Title |
Animal cognition |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Current Biology : CB |
Abbreviated Journal |
Curr Biol |
Volume |
14 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
R372-5 |
Keywords |
Animals; Awareness; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Cognition/*physiology; Concept Formation; Decision Making; Instinct; Intelligence/*physiology; Learning/*physiology; Species Specificity |
Abstract |
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Address |
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA. gould@princeton.edu |
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English |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0960-9822 |
ISBN |
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Notes |
PMID:15186759 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4169 |
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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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ISSN |
1435-9456 |
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Notes |
PMID:19130102 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4969 |
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Author |
Paukner, A.; Anderson, J.R.; Fujita, K. |
Title |
Redundant food searches by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella): a failure of metacognition? |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Animal cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
110-117 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Appetitive Behavior; Cebus; *Concept Formation; Female; Male; Pattern Recognition, Visual; *Problem Solving; *Visual Perception |
Abstract |
This study investigated capuchin monkeys' understanding of their own visual search behavior as a means to gather information. Five monkeys were presented with three tubes that could be visually searched to determine the location of a bait. The bait's visibility was experimentally manipulated, and the monkeys' spontaneous visual searches before tube selection were analyzed. In Experiment 1, three monkeys selected the baited tube significantly above chance; however, the monkeys also searched transparent tubes. In Experiment 2, a bent tube in which food was never visible was introduced. When the bent tube was baited, the monkeys failed to deduce the bait location and responded randomly. They also continued to look into the bent tube despite not gaining any pertinent information from it. The capuchin monkeys' behavior contrasts with the efficient employment of visual search behavior reported in humans, apes and macaques. This difference is consistent with species-related variations in metacognitive abilities, although other explanations are also possible. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK. ap14@stir.ac.uk |
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1435-9448 |
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PMID:16184375 |
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Admin @ knut @ |
Serial |
15 |
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