Solution of Patterned String Problems by Monkeys

Warden, C. J.; Koch, Amie; Fjeld, H. A.

doi:10.1080/08856559.1940.10534503

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…When visual discrimination is made harder by placing string or rewards (or both) closer together, performance often deteriorates (Johnson & Michels, 1958;Mason & Harlow, 1961;Schmidt & Cook, 2006;Warden et al, 1940)-though again, not always (Dücker & Rensch, 1977;King & Witt, 1966;Osthaus et al, 2005). Because visual discrimination is so important for solving string problems, it can be difficult to compare species with different visual capacities.…”

Section: Perceiving Visual Continuitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The string-pulling paradigm in comparative psychology.

Jacobs¹,

Osvath²

2015

Journal of Comparative Psychology

100

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String pulling is one of the most widely used paradigms in comparative psychology. First documented 2 millennia ago, it has been a well-established scientific paradigm for a century. More than 160 bird and mammal species have been tested in over 200 studies with countless methodological variations. The paradigm can be used to address a wide variety of issues on animal cognition; for example, what animals understand about contact and connection as well as whether they rely on perceptual feedback, grasp the functionality of strings, generalize across conditions, apply their knowledge flexibly, and possess insight. Mammals are typically tested on a horizontal configuration, birds on a vertical one, making the studies difficult to compare; in particular, pulling a string vertically requires better coordination and attention. A species' performance on the paradigm is often influenced by its ecology, especially concerning whether limbs are used for foraging. Many other factors can be of importance and should be considered. The string-pulling paradigm is easy to administer, vary, and apply to investigate a wide array of cognitive abilities. Although it can be and has been used to compare species, divergent methods and unclear reporting have limited its comparative utility. With increasing research standards, the paradigm is expected to become an even more fundamental tool in comparative psychology.

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Section: Perceiving Visual Continuitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The string-pulling paradigm in comparative psychology.

Jacobs¹,

Osvath²

2015

Journal of Comparative Psychology

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…procedure 8 . Warden, Koch, & Fjeld (1940b) tested Cebus and Macaca in a study similar to that of Natale (1989) and also concluded that Cebus outperformed Macaca. Unfortunately, the subjects' errors were not quantified or fully described, making comparisons impossible. procedure 9 .…”

Section: Patterned-string Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Some Taxa Have Better Domain-General Cognition than others? A Meta-Analysis of Nonhuman Primate Studies

2006

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Although much recent attention has focused on identifying domain-specific taxonomic differences in cognition, little effort has been directed towards investigating whether domain-general differences also exist. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of published nonhuman primate cognition studies, testing the prediction that some taxa outperform others across a range of testing situations. First, within each of nine experimental paradigms with interspecific variation, we grouped studies by their procedures and the characteristics of their study subjects. Then, using Bayesian latent variable methods, we tested whether taxonomic differences consistently held within or across paradigms. No genus performed especially well within particular paradigms, but genera differed significantly in overall performance. In addition, there was evidence of variation at higher taxonomic levels; most notably, great apes significantly outperformed other lineages. These results cannot be readily explained by perceptual biases or any other contextual confound and instead suggest that primate taxa differ in some kind of domain-general ability.

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“…Solutions of simple patterned string problems have been shown to vary with age during the first year in the human infant (6). Adult chimpanzees solve more complex problems than monkeys do (2,3,4,8), and there is evidence of differences in ability between species of monkeys (4,8). The purposes of the present investigation were to extend the comparisons to another of the anthropoid apes, the gorilla, and to evaluate further the patterned string problem as a method for measuring psychological development.…”

Section: The University Of Chicago and Roosevelt Collegementioning

confidence: 98%