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Comparative CognitionComparative Cognition
Psychology 3306Psychology 3306
IntroductionIntroduction
Comparative psychology is almost as old Comparative psychology is almost as old as the discipline itselfas the discipline itself
People have wondered what animal is People have wondered what animal is smarter than what other animal for yearssmarter than what other animal for years
Many studies have looked for things such Many studies have looked for things such as serial position effects, short term and as serial position effects, short term and long term memory etc in rats and pigeonslong term memory etc in rats and pigeons
There is an implicit question hereThere is an implicit question here
And that question is….And that question is….
‘‘Can rats do what humans do?’Can rats do what humans do?’On the surface this seems an interesting On the surface this seems an interesting
question and indeed almost sensiblequestion and indeed almost sensibleWhat is the basis for such a question?What is the basis for such a question?Well, we must be at the top of some sort of Well, we must be at the top of some sort of
evolutionary ladder (Campbell and Hodos, evolutionary ladder (Campbell and Hodos, 1969)1969)
WRONG thanks for playingWRONG thanks for playing
There is no top, there is no goalThere is no top, there is no goal
These ideas are, simply, wrong!These ideas are, simply, wrong! The much better question is ‘what has driven The much better question is ‘what has driven
some species to be able to solve a certain type some species to be able to solve a certain type of problem?’of problem?’
What selective pressures then, have lead to the What selective pressures then, have lead to the evolution of certain cognitive mechanismsevolution of certain cognitive mechanisms
Asking what species is the smartest is a silly Asking what species is the smartest is a silly questionquestion
http://www.exn.ca/Templates/printstory.asp?http://www.exn.ca/Templates/printstory.asp?PageName=Animals&story_id=2001050453PageName=Animals&story_id=2001050453
So, how do we do comparisonsSo, how do we do comparisons
Let’s say we compare two species on Let’s say we compare two species on some tasksome task
How do we know that any differences we How do we know that any differences we find in cognitive ability may not be due to find in cognitive ability may not be due to differences in motivation?differences in motivation?
Bitterman’s ideasBitterman’s ideas
MacPhailMacPhail
MacPhail basically says that in science we MacPhail basically says that in science we start out with the null hypothesis, that start out with the null hypothesis, that nothing happened, there is no effectnothing happened, there is no effect
In our case, there is no difference between In our case, there is no difference between two speciestwo species
But keep that motivational thing in mind, But keep that motivational thing in mind, any difference could be motivational any difference could be motivational
Al Kamil’s responseAl Kamil’s response
There is a bit of a flaw There is a bit of a flaw therethere
You set up an You set up an hypothesis that you hypothesis that you cannot reject!cannot reject!
So how do we fix it So how do we fix it Al?Al?
Test many species on Test many species on many paradigmsmany paradigms
OK, I am with you so far AlOK, I am with you so far Al
If we find similar differences in many If we find similar differences in many different tests, it is unlikely that motivation different tests, it is unlikely that motivation will always be the culpritwill always be the culprit
Error cancelsError cancelsLook at life history, biology, neuroscience Look at life history, biology, neuroscience
and psychologyand psychologyAsk what sort of differences should have Ask what sort of differences should have
evolvedevolvedMake PREDICTIONSMake PREDICTIONS
Most awesomest example ever of Most awesomest example ever of the synthetic approachthe synthetic approach
Anderson and Krebs, 1978Anderson and Krebs, 1978Mathematical model of when food storing Mathematical model of when food storing
should evolveshould evolveFood storing can only evolve if you Food storing can only evolve if you
recover your own cachesrecover your own cachesSherry, Avery and Stevens (1981)Sherry, Avery and Stevens (1981)Birds seem to recover own seeds using Birds seem to recover own seeds using
memorymemory
More dataMore data
Shettleworth and Krebs, 1982Shettleworth and Krebs, 1982Marsh tits storing seeds in a labMarsh tits storing seeds in a labBetter at recovery of cached seeds than Better at recovery of cached seeds than
randomly placed seedsrandomly placed seedsHalf of seeds removedHalf of seeds removedThey are using memoryThey are using memory In other general memory tests, there have In other general memory tests, there have
been clear differences between storers been clear differences between storers and non storers in the corvid familyand non storers in the corvid family
We have already discussed the We have already discussed the hippocampal differenceshippocampal differences
But what about the parids?But what about the parids?Data are equivocalData are equivocalMaybe it is not how much they remember, Maybe it is not how much they remember,
but how they rememberbut how they remember
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Qualitative vs. Quantitative differencesdifferences
Brodbeck and his Brodbeck and his colleagues…. (ahem) colleagues…. (ahem) pioneered this type of pioneered this type of workwork
Comparing storers Comparing storers and non storers on and non storers on what they remember what they remember in different tastsin different tasts
Brodbeck, 1994; Brodbeck, 1994; Brodbeck and Brodbeck and Shettleworth, 1995Shettleworth, 1995
Brodbeck, 1994Brodbeck, 1994
Chickadees would find a Chickadees would find a seed in a feederseed in a feeder
Usually return later and Usually return later and eat iteat it
Move them around to Move them around to dissociate colour and dissociate colour and spatial locationspatial location
The chickadees The chickadees responded last to the responded last to the correctly coloured feedercorrectly coloured feeder
Non storing Dark Eyed Non storing Dark Eyed Juncos responded to all Juncos responded to all three cue types equallythree cue types equally
And the comparisons continueAnd the comparisons continue
Same thing on a smaller scale using a computer Same thing on a smaller scale using a computer touch sensitive monitortouch sensitive monitor
Birds rewarded for going to one place and not Birds rewarded for going to one place and not anotheranother
Different coloured patchesDifferent coloured patches Switch them aroundSwitch them around Chickadees rely on space, juncos do notChickadees rely on space, juncos do not Indeed, in another experiment it was determined Indeed, in another experiment it was determined
that chickadees when directly tested to very that chickadees when directly tested to very poorly on coulor!poorly on coulor!
FunctionallyFunctionally
Well functionally this makes a lot of senseWell functionally this makes a lot of sense Birds remember WHERE something is, not what Birds remember WHERE something is, not what
colour it iscolour it is Colours changeColours change That line of trees over there is still going to be That line of trees over there is still going to be
over thereover there However, the strange result really is that of the However, the strange result really is that of the
junco!junco! Brodbeck, Boisvert, Vaughan and Grant (1997)Brodbeck, Boisvert, Vaughan and Grant (1997)
Memory for Space/Colour Memory for Space/Colour Compound Stimuli in Pine Compound Stimuli in Pine
SiskinsSiskinsDavid R. BrodbeckDavid R. Brodbeck11 and Jessica M. Humber and Jessica M. Humber22
11- Psychology Department- Psychology Department22- Environmental Science Unit- Environmental Science Unit
Sir Wilfred Grenfell CollegeSir Wilfred Grenfell CollegeMemorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland
IntroductionIntroduction Pine Siskins are finches Pine Siskins are finches
that breed in Northern that breed in Northern North America and North America and conduct the odd invasion conduct the odd invasion into Central and Southern into Central and Southern parts of the US and even parts of the US and even in to Mexicoin to Mexico
Their abundance on the Their abundance on the West Coast of West Coast of Newfoundland made Newfoundland made them an ideal subject for them an ideal subject for field studyfield study
IntroductionIntroduction
We decided to test, first of all, if they could We decided to test, first of all, if they could be trained to go to different feeders that be trained to go to different feeders that had different amounts of foodhad different amounts of food
Feeders were placed a few metres apart Feeders were placed a few metres apart with sunflower seeds in a 3:2:1 ratiowith sunflower seeds in a 3:2:1 ratio
Acquisition
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Seems they can…Seems they can…
The birds distributed their feeder visits The birds distributed their feeder visits roughly in a 3:2:1 ratioroughly in a 3:2:1 ratio
This of course could be due to the birds This of course could be due to the birds actually seeing how much seed was in actually seeing how much seed was in each feedereach feeder
Or they could have emptied the rightmost Or they could have emptied the rightmost feeder first, the centre one second and the feeder first, the centre one second and the leftmost feeder last…..leftmost feeder last…..
Well there’s an empirical question if Well there’s an empirical question if I ever heard one…I ever heard one…
Well we covered up Well we covered up the feeders and the feeders and started swapping one started swapping one feeder with another feeder with another during test during test observation sessionsobservation sessions
So, instead of say So, instead of say ‘green’ ‘red’ ‘yellow’ ‘green’ ‘red’ ‘yellow’ we would now have, we would now have, on one test ‘red’ on one test ‘red’ ‘green’ ‘yellow’‘green’ ‘yellow’
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Unbaited Test Sessions
So what does it all meanSo what does it all mean
Good question…Good question…Seems the siskins respond based on Seems the siskins respond based on
space, sort ofspace, sort ofThey respond based on space if the most They respond based on space if the most
profitable feeder is not in the exact profitable feeder is not in the exact opposite position it should be inopposite position it should be in
Once this happens they seem to treat the Once this happens they seem to treat the array as if it is a brand new array they array as if it is a brand new array they know nothing aboutknow nothing about
Thanks toThanks to
Animal MemoryAnimal Memory
Working MemoryWorking MemoryMemory needed to solve one trial of a tastMemory needed to solve one trial of a tast
Reference MemoryReference MemoryThe rules of the gameThe rules of the game
Some cool preparations for Some cool preparations for studying animal cognitionstudying animal cognition
Delayed matching to SampleDelayed matching to SampleDelayed Non Matching to SampleDelayed Non Matching to Sample
Can be qualitative differences hereCan be qualitative differences here (Mackintosh, Wilson and Boakes, 1982)(Mackintosh, Wilson and Boakes, 1982)
Both subject to proactive and retroactive Both subject to proactive and retroactive interferenceinterference
Symbolic matching and prospective and Symbolic matching and prospective and retrospective encodingretrospective encoding
Roitblat 1980Roitblat 1980
Symbolic matchingSymbolic matching1) Red sample -> Horizontal line1) Red sample -> Horizontal line2) Orange Sample -> Vertical line2) Orange Sample -> Vertical line3) Blue Sample -> Almost vertical line3) Blue Sample -> Almost vertical line If they make mistakes when the choices If they make mistakes when the choices
are 1 and 2, they are encoding are 1 and 2, they are encoding retrospectivelyretrospectively
If they do when the choices are 2 and 3, If they do when the choices are 2 and 3, they are encoding prospectivelythey are encoding prospectively
More cool paradigmsMore cool paradigms
8 Arm radial maze (Olton and Samuelson, 1976)8 Arm radial maze (Olton and Samuelson, 1976) We talked about Suzuki et al early onWe talked about Suzuki et al early on Macuda and Roberts (1997) found that rats Macuda and Roberts (1997) found that rats
actually chunk!actually chunk! Directed forgetting experiments!Directed forgetting experiments! Inman and Shettleworth (1999)Inman and Shettleworth (1999) Brodbeck (1997), Brodbeck and Caines (2005) Brodbeck (1997), Brodbeck and Caines (2005)
pigeons show priming just like humanspigeons show priming just like humans