Language as a window on rationality

Inferential reasoning by exclusion in children (Homo sapiens).

“…We acknowledge this possibility and note that, likewise, the nonhuman primates tested previously may have been more practiced at making inferences in the visual than the auditory domain. However, given that language or symbol training has been shown to lead to apparent improvements in the cognitive skills of chimpanzees (Boysen, 2006;Call & Tomasello, 1996;Savage-Rumbaugh, Rumbaugh, & Fields, 2006), it would be instructive to compare the performance of symbol-trained and nonsymboltrained apes on the cups task and the duplicate cups test. Perhaps those with symbol training would have sufficient cognitive flexibility to use their causal-logical understanding in the cups task, and then switch to a symbolic strategy in the duplicate cups test, where relying on causal-logical understanding is not functional, thus performing more like the children.…”

“…Among nonhuman primates that have been tested using the cups task paradigm, only one individual (Limbuko, a captive-born, human-reared bonobo) performed in a similar way to the children across cups task experiments, reliably using the recorded sound of a reward being shaken in a cup (the tape recorder test ) as a cue to locate a hidden reward after making apparent auditory inferences (Call, 2004, and see Hill, Collier-Baker, & Suddendorf, 2011). However, given that language or symbol training has been shown to lead to apparent improvements in the cognitive skills of chimpanzees (Boysen, 2006; Call & Tomasello, 1996; Savage-Rumbaugh, Rumbaugh, & Fields, 2006), it would be instructive to compare the performance of symbol-trained and nonsymbol-trained apes on the cups task and the duplicate cups test . Perhaps those with symbol training would have sufficient cognitive flexibility to use their causal-logical understanding in the cups task , and then switch to a symbolic strategy in the duplicate cups test , where relying on causal-logical understanding is not functional, thus performing more like the children.…”

Preliminary Study of Object Labeling Using Sound Production in a Beluga

“…Studies performed with several terrestrial animals demonstrated they can comprehend and produce symbols such as lexigrams and sounds (Savage- Rumbaugh, Rumbaugh, & Fields, 2006). The bidirectional relationship between symbols and specific matters has been established among these species.…”

Incorporating animal agency into research design could improve behavioral and neuroscience research.

“…Indeed, a major challenge facing behavioral neuroscientists today is to measure the behaviors and the neuronal activities of sentient animals in natural conditions. We have to keep in mind that in the research process, some of the limitations shown by the animals are actually the limitations of the scientific methods, rather than the animals themselves (Savage-Rumbaugh et al, 2006). This is particularly the case with visual cognition (Hopper et al, 2021; Jacob et al, 2021) and auditory cognition (Calapai et al, 2022), with new systems allowing significant advances in testing animals.…”