Rats counting rats: The use of conspecifics as discriminative stimuli

Davis, Hank; Hiestand, Laurie

doi:10.3758/bf03334087

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Such information can aid animals in determining which food patch they would visit (Beran et al, 2008). However, studies have shown that mosquitofish, rats, and female lions can make quantity judgments beyond foraging and involving social situations and communication between conspecifics (Davis and Bradford, 1986; Davis and Hiestand, 1992; McComb et al, 1994; Argrillo et al, 2007). This would allow individuals to determine the relative quantity of nearby individuals and use it to facilitate or deter interactions with these conspecifics (Kitchen, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gonadal hormones modulate sex differences in judgments of relative numerousness in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Ferkin

Pierce

Sealand

2009

Hormones and Behavior

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Animals in a variety of taxa discriminate between a greater quantity and a lesser quantity of the same object, an ability that is referred to as relative numerousness judgment. For example, meadow voles can distinguish between areas containing more over-marks by one opposite-sex scent donor and fewer over-marks by another opposite-sex scent donor. Females appear to be able to make better discriminations between more or less over-marks than do males. In that gonadal hormones have been implicated in modulating cognitive function associated with spatial tasks, we tested the hypothesis that high titers of testosterone and estradiol are necessary for male and female voles, respectively, to distinguish between the top-and bottom-scent donors in an area containing mixed over-marks. We gonadectomized voles, giving them either gonadal hormone replacement (testosterone for males and estradiol for females) or no hormone replacement, and tested their spontaneous judgments of distinguishing between the top-and bottom-scent donors in an area containing mixed over-marks; a task involving judgments of relative numerousness Female voles given replacement estradiol performed better than did female voles not given replacement estradiol in determining the top-scent and bottom-scent males in areas containing mixed over-marks. In contrast, males not treated with replacement testosterone performed better than did males treated with testosterone in determining the top-scent and bottom-scent males in areas containing mixed over-marks. Thus, high titers of estradiol and low titers of testosterone are associated with better performance on tasks involving relative numerousness in female and male voles, respectively. The results of this task on relative numerousness judgments are discussed in relation to the effects of gonadal steroid hormone on spatial ability, a closely related cognitive domain, and the social biology of meadow voles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gonadal hormones modulate sex differences in judgments of relative numerousness in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Ferkin

Pierce

Sealand

2009

Hormones and Behavior

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“…Research with rats has also indicated a high level of numerical competence. One early study [30] reported that rats could acquire the absolute numerousness concept of "two", and a more recent study [9] reported that rats acquired a relative numerousness concept. Other recent research has suggested much more sophisticated numerical cognition in rats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerousness Discrimination in Rats

Schmidt¹,

Warhawk²,

Garcia³

2004

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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Three experiments were conducted to test rats' ability to acquire conceptual two-choice visual numerousness discriminations. A touch-screen presented stimuli (white dots) and recorded responses. In Experiment 1, three rats were trained on a 3:4 discrimination with trial-unique dot displays (probes) presented on either 20% or 5% of trials. All subjects performed at chance on both training trials and probes. In Experiment 2, four rats were trained on a 3:6 discrimination with probes presented on all trials. All subjects performed at chance. In Experiment 3, four rats were trained on a 2:5 discrimination without probes. All subjects learned this discrimination. Probes were then presented on 25%, followed by 75% of trials. All subjects performed significantly above chance on the probes indicating acquisition of a conceptual 2:5 numerousness discrimination. These rats were then tested on additional discriminations. Above chance performance was obtained on the 2:4, 3:5, and 4:5 tasks indicating acquisition of conceptual numerousness discriminations on these tasks as well. Data collection is still underway on the 2:3 task.

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Rats counting rats: The use of conspecifics as discriminative stimuli

Cited by 2 publications

References 11 publications

Gonadal hormones modulate sex differences in judgments of relative numerousness in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Gonadal hormones modulate sex differences in judgments of relative numerousness in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Numerousness Discrimination in Rats

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