6B: Comparative cognition

Question 1

Comparitive cognition

Answer 1

Study of information processing across species
Often targets:
• Memory
• Categorisation 
• Decision-making 
• Problem-solving 
• Language
• Deception

Question 2

Four levels of analysis (Tinbergen’s four questions)

Answer 2

Ultimate Cause
1. What purpose does this trait serve for survival or reproduction?
2. How is this trait distributed among various species?
Proximate Cause
3. What biological and environmental events lead to the expression of this trait in an individual?
4. How does this trait emerge or change during an individual’s development?

Question 3

Memory

Answer 3

With animals, often studied through stimulus discrimination.
Delayed matching-to-sample

Question 4

Delayed matching-to-sample

Answer 4

Delayed matching-to-sample
• Animal shown sample stimulus – confirmed
• Delay
• Presented with a group of stimuli, need to select original
stimulus from group
• Reinforcement provided on correct recognition
• Time-out if incorrect and new trial
Examine similar features, time delay, impact of delay period on recognition, directed forgetting and later recollection

Question 5

Directed forgetting

Answer 5

Instructed to forget something

Question 6

Species evolution

Answer 6

Animals needs to adapt to niche environments – in both physical and cognitive characteristics
Bird behaviour:
• Spatial navigation for migrating species (physical)
• Vision and hearing for predators (physical)
• Food storage for non-predator non-migration species (cognitive - memory)

Question 7

Problem solving

Answer 7

Tool use demonstrates higher order cognitive skills
• Young chimpanzees watch others to learn to crack nuts with stone tools
Multi-purpose items
• Sea otters, birds, primates use rocks to open shells
• Chimpanzees use vegetation as pillows and leaves to protect from rain
• Carrying tool in expectation for future use displays higher intelligence, e.g.
bonobos
• Multiple tool use rare, e.g. chimpanzees
Evidence supports ability of animals to understand cause and effect

Question 8

Self-awareness

Answer 8

Ability to see oneself as seperate from others

Extends from theory of mind (tendency to attribute mental states to other individuals)

Question 9

Mark and mirror test

Answer 9

Test for self-awareness
Subject marked on face with paint/makeup (unaware)
• Provided with a mirror
• Reaction coded
Self-recognition indicated by touching face in location of mark and using mirror to examine body
Reaction as though it is someone else indication of no self- recognition

Question 10

Animal language

Answer 10

Communication as a process of sending and receiving a signal
Language is intentional and specific
Alarm calls are evidence of language in animals

Question 11

Mark and mirror results

Answer 11

Both chimpanzees and human infants display self-recognition before age three years
• Humans ~ 24 months
• Chimpanzees ~ 28 months
Other species:
• Dolphins
• Elephants
• Great apes
• Pigeons (required additional training)
Variability within species

Question 12

But can animals talks?

Answer 12

Tests in chimpanzees showed that vocally they could not speak following training, but sign language possible
Capacity to reference objects but mastery of grammar unclear
Evidence in dolphins of both reference and grammatical rules through behavioural sequencing
Language abilities unclear in animals and depends on how you define it