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Author Reznikova, Z.I.
Title [The study of tool use as the way for general estimation of cognitive abilities in animals] Type Journal Article
Year 2006 Publication Zhurnal Obshchei Biologii Abbreviated Journal Zh Obshch Biol
Volume 67 Issue 1 Pages (down) 3-22
Keywords Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; *Cognition; Learning; Pattern Recognition, Physiological; Species Specificity
Abstract Investigation of tool use is an effective way to determine cognitive abilities of animals. This approach raises hypotheses, which delineate limits of animal's competence in understanding of objects properties and interrelations and the influence of individual and social experience on their behaviour. On the basis of brief review of different models of manipulation with objects and tools manufacturing (detaching, subtracting and reshaping) by various animals (from elephants to ants) in natural conditions the experimental data concerning tool usage was considered. Tool behaviour of anumals could be observed rarely and its distribution among different taxons is rather odd. Recent studies have revealed that some species (for instance, bonobos and tamarins) which didn't manipulate tools in wild life appears to be an advanced tool users and even manufacturers in laboratory. Experimental studies of animals tool use include investigation of their ability to use objects physical properties, to categorize objects involved in tool activity by its functional properties, to take forces affecting objects into account, as well as their capacity of planning their actions. The crucial question is whether animals can abstract general principles of relations between objects regardless of the exact circumstances, or they develop specific associations between concerete things and situations. Effectiveness of laboratory methods is estimated in the review basing on comparative studies of tool behaviour, such as “support problem”, “stick problem”, “tube- and tube-trap problem”, and “reserve tube problem”. Levels of social learning, the role of imprinting, and species-specific predisposition to formation of specific domains are discussed. Experimental investigation of tool use allows estimation of the individuals' intelligence in populations. A hypothesis suggesting that strong predisposition to formation of specific associations can serve as a driving force and at the same time as obstacle to animals' activity is discussed. In several “technically gifted” species (such as woodpecker finches, New Caledonian crows, and chimpanzees) tool use seems to be guided by a rapid process of trial and error learning. Individuals that are predisposed to learn specific connections do this too quickly and thus become enslaved by stereotypic solutions of raising problems.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Russian Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0044-4596 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:16521567 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2857
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Author Murai, C.; Tomonaga, M.; Kamegai, K.; Terazawa, N.; Yamaguchi, M.K.
Title Do infant Japanese macaques ( Macaca fuscata) categorize objects without specific training? Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Primates Abbreviated Journal Primates
Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages (down) 1-6
Keywords Analysis of Variance; Animals; *Cognition; *Concept Formation; *Generalization, Stimulus; Japan; Macaca/*psychology; Male
Abstract In the present study, we examined whether infant Japanese macaques categorize objects without any training, using a similar technique also used with human infants (the paired-preference method). During the familiarization phase, subjects were presented twice with two pairs of different objects from one global-level category. During the test phase, they were presented twice with a pair consisting of a novel familiar-category object and a novel global-level category object. The subjects were tested with three global-level categories (animal, furniture, and vehicle). It was found that they showed significant novelty preferences as a whole, indicating that they processed similarities between familiarization objects and novel familiar-category objects. These results suggest that subjects responded distinctively to objects without training, indicating the possibility that infant macaques possess the capacity for categorization.
Address Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. cmurai@bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0032-8332 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:14505179 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2813
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