Comparative Cognition & Theory of Mind (25/08/2020) PDF

25/08/2020 Topic 4: Subtopic 5 Comparative cognition & Theory of Mind BIOLOGICAL AND LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY Course coordinator: Ass...

25/08/2020 Topic 4: Subtopic 5 Comparative cognition & Theory of Mind BIOLOGICAL AND LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY Course coordinator: Associate Professor Carla Litchfield 1 COMPARATIVE COGNITION The study of information processing across species, including humans. Some research topics include: Memory Categorisation Decision-making http://wkprc.eva.mpg.de Problem solving Language use Deception http://comparative-cognition-and-behavior-reviews.org 2 1  25/08/2020 THEORY OF MIND The ability to attribute mental states to others, such as knowledge, intentions and beliefs (de Waal, 2016). Sharing or concealing information from others requires an animal to understand that it is: Separate from other individuals (self-awareness) Content of its mind is different from others 3 ANIMAL COGNITION PROFESSOR FRANS DE WAAL: We tend to think animals live in the present, that they don’t have a future and don’t have a past. But we know that’s not true. They can use tools to fix something for the future. EXAMPLE: In a Swiss zoo, orangutans had a skylight in their cage and dismantled the whole thing. they spent summer nights on the roof of their building in the morning before the caretakers came back, they went back in the cage and put the skylight precisely back together. So no one ever noticed. (https://www.ttbook.org/interview/frans-de-waal-emerging-science-animal-cognition) 4 2  25/08/2020 CLASSIC TEST OF SELF-AWARENESS The mark and mirror test: Place a mark on the animal’s face or body; http://www.replicatedtypo.com give them access to a mirror; code behaviour of animal in response to image in the mirror Developed by: Gordon Gallop (1970), an Neng Gong and colleagues/Current Biology; Think Elephants International animal behaviourist, & Beulah Amsterdam (1972), a clinical child psychologist 5 DOLPHIN COGNITION It is difficult to design cognitive tests for marine mammals: dolphins & whales don’t have hands! Cognitive tests for dolphins include: cooperative tasks & the mirror recognition test 6 3  25/08/2020 ALARM CALLS IN VERVET MONKEYS (Seyfarth, Cheney & Marler, 1980) Vervet monkeys make alarm calls in presence of predators to warn other monkeys nearby. Researchers recorded alarm calls, & observed reactions of monkeys when particular calls were replayed from hidden speakers (Playback experiments). Primitive form of language: infants vocalised calls imperfectly, but improved with age & experience Separate calls- (1) look up for predatory eagles; (2) look around on ground for pythons; (3) take to trees to escape leopards http://biology.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ ch01/Vervet.jpg 7 PROBLEM SOLVING IN CROWS: META TOOL USE Dr Alex Taylor (Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand) set a crow, named 007, an 8-step puzzle task to solve for a food reward © Daily Mail, dailymail.co.uk 8 4  25/08/2020 CAPUCHIN MONKEYS & ‘FAIRNESS’ (RECIPROCITY) TEST Sarah F. Brosnan & Frans B. M. de Waal (2002) designed the ‘fairness’ or reciprocity test, for 2 capuchin monkeys to perform. 1 monkey gets a reward of cucumber, the other monkey gets a grape, which results in the first monkey getting ‘upset’ Brosnan, S. F., & De Waal, F. B. (2002). A proximate perspective on reciprocal altruism. Human Nature, 13, 129-152. 9 References Amundin, M., Starkhammar, J., Evander, M., Almqvist, M., Lindström, K., & Persson, H. W. (2008). An echolocation visualization and interface system for dolphin research. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123, 1188-1194. Brosnan, S. F., & De Waal, F. B. (2002). A proximate perspective on reciprocal altruism. Human Nature, 13, 129-152. de Waal, F.B.M. (2016). Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? New York: W.W. Norton Gruber, R., Schiestl, M., Boeckle, M., Frohnwieser, A., Miller, R., Gray, R. D.,... & Taylor, A. H. (2019). New Caledonian crows use mental representations to solve metatool problems. Current Biology, 29, 686-692. Seyfarth, R.M., Cheney, D.L., & Marler, P. (1980). Monkey responses to three different alarm calls: evidence for predator classification and semantic communication. Science, 210, 801-803. http://www.scienceasart.org/files/newcaledoniancrow_tool https://primatology.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/orang use.jpg?1307042064 utan-tool-use-fishing.jpg 10 5