Monkeys Wait to Begin a Computer Task when Waiting Makes Their Responses More Effective

Evans, Theodore A.; Beran, Michael J.

doi:10.12966/abc.02.03.2014

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…One monkey, Nkima, had no previous experience in self-control tasks such as those used in the present study. All remaining monkeys had experience in computerized self-control tasks (Evans and Beran, 2014; Evans, Perdue, Parrish, and Beran, 2014), as well as with the accumulation task (Addessi et al, 2013) and the rotating tray task (Bramlett et al, 2012; Perdue et al, 2015). …”

Section: 1 Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-control assessments of capuchin monkeys with the rotating tray task and the accumulation task

Beran

Perdue

Rossettie

et al. 2016

Behavioural Processes

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Recent studies of delay of gratification in capuchin monkeys using a rotating tray (RT) task have shown improved self-control performance in these animals in comparison to the accumulation (AC) task. In this study, we investigated whether this improvement resulted from the difference in methods between the rotating tray task and previous tests, or whether it was the result of greater overall experience with delay of gratification tasks. Experiment 1 produced similar performance levels by capuchins monkeys in the RT and AC tasks when identical reward and temporal parameters were used. Experiment 2 demonstrated a similar result using reward amounts that were more similar to previous AC experiments with these monkeys. In Experiment 3, monkeys performed multiple versions of the AC task with varied reward and temporal parameters. Their self-control behavior was found to be dependent on the overall delay to reward consumption, rather than the overall reward amount ultimately consumed. These findings indicate that these capuchin monkeys’ self-control capacities were more likely to have improved across studies because of the greater experience they had with delay of gratification tasks. Experiment 4 and Experiment 5 tested new, task-naïve monkeys on both tasks, finding more limited evidence of self-control, and no evidence that one task was more beneficial than the other in promoting self-control. The results of this study suggest that future testing of this kind should focus on temporal parameters and reward magnitude parameters to establish accurate measures of delay of gratification capacity and development in this species and perhaps others.

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Section: 1 Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-control assessments of capuchin monkeys with the rotating tray task and the accumulation task

Beran

Perdue

Rossettie

et al. 2016

Behavioural Processes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…All primates had participated previously in multiple psychological experiments involving the computerized test system used in this study (e.g., Beran, 2006, 2008; Beran, Evans, Klein, & Einstein, 2012; Beran & Parrish, 2013; Beran & Smith, 2011; Beran & Washburn, 2002; Evans & Beran, 2012, 2014; Evans, Perdue, Parrish, & Beran, 2014; Klein, Evans, Schultz, & Beran, 2013). All chimpanzees had some experience in working on computerized mazes that looked different from the present mazes but that still involved moving to a goal on a computer screen (Fragaszy et al, 2003, 2009).…”

Section: Experiments 1: Nonhuman Primatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking ahead? Computerized maze task performance by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella), and human children (Homo sapiens).

Beran

Parrish

Futch

et al. 2015

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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Human and nonhuman primates are not mentally constrained to the present. They can remember the past and – at least to an extent – anticipate the future. Anticipation of the future ranges from long-term prospection such as planning for retirement to more short-term future oriented cognition such as planning a route through a maze. Here we tested a great ape species (chimpanzees), an Old World monkey species (rhesus macaques) a New World monkey species (capuchin monkeys) and human children on a computerized maze task. All subjects had to move a cursor through a maze to reach a goal at the bottom of the screen. For best performance on the task, subjects had to “plan ahead” to the end of the maze to move the cursor in the correct direction, avoid traps, and reverse directions if necessary. Mazes varied in difficulty. Chimpanzees were better than both monkey species, and monkeys showed a particular deficit when moving away from the goal or changing directions was required. Children showed a similar pattern to monkeys regarding the effects of reversals and moves away from the goal, but their overall performance in terms of correct maze completion was similar to the chimpanzees. The results highlight similarities as well as differences in planning across species and the role that inhibitory control may play in future oriented cognition in primates.

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Waiting for what comes later: capuchin monkeys show self-control even for nonvisible delayed rewards

et al. 2015

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Self-control tasks used with nonhuman animals typically involve the choice between an immediate option and a delayed, but more preferred option. However, in many self-control scenarios, not only does the more impulsive option come sooner in time, it is often more concrete than the delayed option. For example, studies have presented children with the option of eating a visible marshmallow immediately, or foregoing it for a better reward that can only be seen later. Thus, the immediately available option is visible and concrete, whereas the delayed option is not visible and more abstract. We tested eight capuchin monkeys to better understand this potential effect by manipulating the visibility of the response options and the visibility of the baiting itself. Monkeys observed two food items (20 or 5 g pieces of banana) each being placed either on top of or inside of one of the two opaque containers attached to a revolving tray apparatus, either in full view of monkeys or occluded by a barrier. Trials ended when monkeys removed a reward from the rotating tray. To demonstrate self-control, monkeys should have allowed the smaller piece of food to pass if the larger piece was forthcoming. Overall, monkeys were successful on the task, allowing a smaller, visible piece of banana to pass from reach in order to access the larger, nonvisible banana piece. This was true even when the entire baiting process took place out of sight of the monkeys. This finding suggests that capuchin monkeys succeed on self-control tasks even when the delayed option is also more abstract than the immediate one-a situation likely faced by primates in everyday life.

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Monkeys Wait to Begin a Computer Task when Waiting Makes Their Responses More Effective

Cited by 5 publications

References 43 publications

Self-control assessments of capuchin monkeys with the rotating tray task and the accumulation task

Self-control assessments of capuchin monkeys with the rotating tray task and the accumulation task

Looking ahead? Computerized maze task performance by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella), and human children (Homo sapiens).

Waiting for what comes later: capuchin monkeys show self-control even for nonvisible delayed rewards

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