Extent and limits of the matching concept in monkeys (Cebus apella).

D’Amato, M. R.; Salmon, David P.; Colombo, Michael

doi:10.1037/0097-7403.11.1.35

Cited by 149 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This performance is well above chance level and is consistent with the accuracy levels observed in other studies that have used comparable computerised matching-to-sample tasks with two comparison stimuli and no delay intervals (e.g., capuchins: 81.94% [43] and 78.2% [30]; gorillas and orangutans:…”

supporting

confidence: 89%

Effects of brief time delays on matching-to-sample abilities in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.)

Truppa

Simone

Mortari

et al. 2014

Behavioural Brain Research

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Traditionally, studies of delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) tasks in nonhuman species have focused on the assessment of the limits of the retrieval of information stored in short-and longterm memory systems. However, it is still unclear if visual recognition in these tasks is affected by very brief delay intervals, which are typically used to study rapidly decaying types of visual memory. This study aimed at evaluating if tufted capuchin monkeys' ability to recognise visual stimuli in a DMTS task is affected by (i) the disappearance of the sample stimulus and (ii) the introduction of delay intervals (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 seconds) between the disappearance of the sample and the presentation of the comparison stimuli. The results demonstrated that the simple disappearance of the sample and the introduction of a delay of 0.5 seconds did not affect capuchins' performance either in terms of accuracy or response time. A delay interval of 1.0 second produced a significant increase in response time but still did not affect recognition accuracy. By contrast, delays of 2.0 and 3.0 seconds determined a significant increase in response time and a reduction in recognition accuracy. These findings indicate the existence in capuchin monkeys of processes enabling a very accurate retention of stimulus features within time frames comparable to those reported for humans' sensory memory (0.5-1.0 seconds). The extent to which such processes can be considered analogous to the sensory memory processes observed in human visual cognition is discussed. We examine capuchin monkeys' ability to match visual stimuli after brief delays. 0.5 sec intervals do not affect either response accuracy or response time.  1.0 sec intervals do not affect response accuracy but increase response time. 2.0 and 3.0 sec intervals decrease response accuracy and increase response time. Effects consistent with those ascribed to iconic memory in humans. Research Highlights Responses to the ReviewerWe were extremely pleased that the reviewer was satisfied with the vast majority of our revisions and that s/he felt that we had been very responsive and addressed most of her/his concerns. We are also pleased to read that the reviewer felt that all her/his specific comments have been addressed.We have now further revised the article in several places (P 4 lines 46-48; P 6 lines 53-59; P 7 lines 1-3; P 13 lines 44-49; P 14 lines 1-7; P 18 lines 48-54; P 18 line 56 -P 19 line 1) in order to make it absolutely clear that we make no claims regarding the high-capacity of the memory system that we have observed in capuchin monkeys so that, in that respect it could be considered analogous to human iconic memory. All our claims are based on analyses of the effects of time delay which, because they suggest a discontinuous function of the delays, can be considered indicative of separate memory processes at early stages of the encoding of visual information in monkeys.As suggested by the reviewer we now present effect sizes for paired t tests and 95% confidence in...

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supporting

confidence: 89%

Effects of brief time delays on matching-to-sample abilities in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.)

Truppa

Simone

Mortari

et al. 2014

Behavioural Brain Research

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“…Second, it is known that exploration of novel stimuli in monkeys interferes with test performance (D'Amato, Salmon, & Colombo, 1985). In our study, test performance might be disturbed by an exploratory tendency, given the novel stimuli presented in the test trials.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…D'Amato, Salmon, & Colombo (1985) suggest that novelty of test stimulus interferes with discriminative responses by provoking exploring behavior toward the novel stimuli. If increasing familiarity of test stimuli contributed to a decrease of the interference effect on test performance, it would be expected that test performance with object F should improve with repetition of testing.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquisition and Limited Transfer of Numerical Discrimination of Object Stimuli in Rats

Kamijo

Taniuchi

2014

Psychol Rec

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A series of experiments explored rats' ability to learn abstract ordinal position of object stimuli to investigate their numerical competence. Three of four Long-Evans rats, trained to respond to the third of six objects in a line, reliably learned this task in three different trials with three different stimulus objects. As the objects' spatial location was changed trial-by-trial, spatial position of stimuli could not serve as an effective discriminative cue. In the first transfer test, trials with three novel objects were used as probe tests to the original training. In the second test, rats were trained with all six objects, and then given three novel test stimuli. During the transfer test period, rats maintained good performance with training stimuli, whereas most responses to probe tests were at chance level, showing limited transfer of counting behavior to novel stimuli. Results are discussed in terms of stimulus-specific learning and domainrestricted concept learning.

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“…For example, early tests with pigeons uniformly failed to find MTS abstract-concept learning Cumming & Berryman, 1961;Cumming et al, 1965;D'Amato et al, 1985;Farthing & Opuda, 1974;Holmes, 1979). Indeed, these failures of MTS abstract-concept learning by pigeons provided a major stimulus for Premack's (1978) article.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of same-different abstract-concept learning by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Katz¹,

Wright²,

Bachevalier³

2002

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes

106

140

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Experiments with 9 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) showed, for the first time, that abstract-concept learning varied with the training stimulus set size. In a same/different task, monkeys required to touch a top picture before choosing a bottom picture (same) or white rectangle (different) learned rapidly. Monkeys not required to touch the top picture or presented with the top picture for a fixed time learned slowly or not at all. No abstract-concept learning occurred after 8-item training but progressively improved with larger set sizes and was complete following 128-item training. A control monkey with a constant 8-item set ruled out repeated training and testing. Contrary to the unique-species account, it is argued that different species have quantitative, not qualitative, differences in abstract-concept learning.Abstract concepts are the basis of much of our so-called higher order cognitive processing (e.g., language and mathematics). Abstract concepts are rules about relationships such as identity or sameness. Children apparently develop cognition in stages and expand their abstract concept of sameness to include number length, area, and volume (Piaget & Inhelder, 1966/1969. Indeed, William James (1890/1950) declared that our "sense of sameness is the very keel and backbone of our thinking" (p. 459). In the laboratory, the abstract concept of sameness is usually studied in matching-to-sample (MTS) or same/different (S/D) tasks. In MTS, subjects typically view a sample stimulus and then choose one of two comparison stimuli, with the correct choice being the comparison that matches the sample. In S/D, subjects view a pair of stimuli and then make one of two responses to indicate whether the stimuli are the same or different. The determination of abstractconcept learning in both cases is accurate performance with novel test stimuli. Accurate performance with novel stimuli means that the subject has learned an abstract rule that transcends the particular training stimuli. Such transfer performance is what makes abstract-concept learning unique and different from other forms of concept learning.Abstract concepts are different from what are called "natural" concepts. Natural concepts are categories of items bound by absolute features of objects such as cars, chairs, flowers, person, water, or trees (e.g., Bhatt, Wasserman, Reynolds, & Knauss, 1988;Herrnstein, Loveland, & Cable, 1976;Roberts & Mazmanian, 1988). Natural concepts involve learning specific features shared by a class or category of items (e.g., prototype). By contrast, abstract concepts do not involve learning specific stimulus features. Instead, they involve learning the relationships between items. Thus, abstract concepts involve relational learning as opposed to the item-specific learning of natural-concept learning.

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Extent and limits of the matching concept in monkeys (Cebus apella).

Abstract: This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Cited by 149 publications

References 36 publications

Effects of brief time delays on matching-to-sample abilities in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.)

Effects of brief time delays on matching-to-sample abilities in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.)

Acquisition and Limited Transfer of Numerical Discrimination of Object Stimuli in Rats

Mechanisms of same-different abstract-concept learning by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

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