The discrimination of discrete and continuous amounts in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Aïn, Syrina Al; Giret, Nicolas; Grand, Marion; Kreutzer, Michel; Bovet, Dalila

doi:10.1007/s10071-008-0178-8

Cited by 75 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…According to Weber’s law, the finer the ratio between two quantities, the harder it is for the animal to differentiate between them [23,25,26]. Whilst there are many studies in a range of taxa evidencing use of the approximate number system to perform quantity discrimination (e.g., [5,7,10,13,23,43,44,46]), use of the object-file system has also been described in a variety of species including humans [22], rhesus macaques [24], domestic chicks [47], horses [48], amphibians [16,18] and mosquitofish [49]. In this study the negative correlation found between the fineness of the ratio and the proportion of trials where the larger quantity was selected indicates that the rats’ ability to differentiate the two amounts decreased as the ratio became finer (e.g., from 3:8 to 5:6).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Quantity discrimination has been reported in a range of taxa including mammals (e.g., Dogs: [2], African elephants [3], Cats: [4], Capuchin monkeys: [5], Great apes: [6]), birds (e.g., Domestic Chicks [7] Clark’s Nutcrackers: [8], North Island robins: [9], African grey parrots: [10]), invertebrates (e.g., Japanese ants [11], Yellow mealworm beetles [12]), fish (e.g., Angelfish: [13], Mosquitofish: [14]; Redtail Splitfin [15]) and amphibians (e.g., Frogs: [16], Salamanders: [17,18]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Findings from studies utilizing extensive training can be suggested not only to lack ecological validity, but also this prior training can improve animals’ quantity discrimination abilities to a level beyond that which would be utilized spontaneously [10,24,39,40]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantity Discrimination in Domestic Rats, Rattus norvegicus

Cox¹,

Montrose²

2016

Animals

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Simple SummaryQuantity discrimination involves distinguishing which of two quantities is greater. This discrimination between larger and smaller quantities has only been demonstrated in rats post extensive training. We tested whether domestic rats could perform quantity discrimination without explicit training. We found that rats could distinguish the greater amount in comparisons of 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 3, 3 vs. 5, 3 vs. 8, 4 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 8. Rats could not distinguish between 3 vs. 4, 4 vs. 5 and 5 vs. 6. We also found that as the ratio between quantities became finer the choice of the larger quantity decreased. We conclude that rats can perform quantity discrimination without extensive training and that their quantity discrimination ability is influenced by the ratio between quantities.AbstractQuantity discrimination is a basic form of numerical competence where an animal distinguishes which of two amounts is greater in size. Whilst quantity discrimination in rats has been investigated via training paradigms, rats’ natural quantity discrimination abilities without explicit training for a desired response have not been explored. This study investigated domestic rats’ ability to perform quantity discrimination. Domestic rats (n = 12) were examined for their ability to distinguish the larger amount under nine quantity comparisons. One-sample t-tests identified a significant preference for the larger quantity in comparisons of 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 3, 3 vs. 5, 3 vs. 8, 4 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 8. No preference between quantities was found for comparisons of 3 vs. 4, 4 vs. 5 and 5 vs. 6. Overall, this study drew two key conclusions. Firstly, that domestic rats are capable of performing quantity discrimination without extensive training. Secondly, as subjects adhered to Weber’s law, it was concluded that the approximate number system underpins domestic rats’ ability to perform spontaneous quantity discrimination.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantity Discrimination in Domestic Rats, Rattus norvegicus

Cox¹,

Montrose²

2016

Animals

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“…The ability to process nonnumerical quantities is less studied. However, there is abundant evidence that animals discriminate efficiently between objects that differ for area, length, and volume (Basolo 1990;Segev et al 2007;Agrillo et al 2008;Al Aïn et al 2009;Lucon-Xiccato et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Lucon‐Xiccato

Dadda

2016

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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The ability to discriminate between different quantities is useful to an animal since it allows adaptive decisions in several contexts. In humans, some individuals are generally better at solving different numerical and mathematical problems, but we currently ignore whether other species also show individual differences in quantitative abilities across different contexts. Aiming to investigate this possibility, we observed the performances of individual guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in an antipredator task that required the discrimination between shoals made of a different number of conspecifics (4 versus 6 fish) and, successively, in two foraging tasks that required the discrimination between different numbers of food items (4 versus 6 items) and food items with different sizes (0.67 ratio between the two surface areas). Overall, guppies achieved comparable performances in the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, but showed reduced accuracy in the discrimination between different numbers of food items. Performances of guppies were correlated between the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, suggesting the existence of individual differences in quantity discrimination abilities in different contexts in this species. Unexpectedly, this relationship was negative, and some guppies were better in the antipredator task, while others were better in the foraging task. Our results agree with the general trend of the literature on animals that suggests the existence of multiple cognitive functions whose activation are task specific, and also introduce the possibility that some of these functions are subject to constraints. Significance statementIn this work, we provided the first clear evidence of individual differences in the ability to solve quantity discriminations in a fish. Guppies were observed in three quantity discrimination tasks: recognising and joining the larger shoal of conspecifics among two options, a behaviour that confers protection from predators; selecting the larger number of food items between two sets; and selecting the food item with larger size. Guppies that were more accurate in the shoal size discrimination achieved lower scores in the food item size discrimination. Some individuals gain advantage from cognitive abilities that confer defence against predators, while other individuals from those abilities that improve foraging success.

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“…This system has been seen in a wide variety of animals including amphibians (e.g., Krusche, Uller, & Dicke, 2010), birds (e.g., Ain, Giret, Grand, Kreutzer, & Bovet, 2009; Rugani, Cavazzana, Vallortigara, & Regolin, 2013), marine mammals (e.g., Abramson, Hernandez-Lloreda, Call, & Colmenares, 2011), terrestrial non-primate mammals (Baker, Shivik, & Jordan, 2011; Perdue, Talbot, Stone, & Beran, 2012; Vonk & Beran, 2012), and many primates (Beran, 2007, 2008; Hanus & Call, 2007; Lewis, Jaffe, & Brannon, 2005; Cantlon & Brannon, 2006a, 2006b). It is also seen in the discrimination performance of children (Cantlon, Safford, & Brannon, 2010; Cordes & Brannon, 2009; Huntley-Fenner & Cannon, 2000), and adult humans who are prevented from using formal counting routines (Beran, Taglialatela, James, Flemming, & Washburn, 2006; Boisvert, Abroms, & Roberts, 2003; Cordes, Gelman, Gallistel, & Whalen, 2001; Whalen, Gallistel, & Gelman, 1999).…”

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confidence: 99%

Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) treat small and large numbers of items similarly during a relative quantity judgment task

Beran

Parrish

2015

Psychon Bull Rev

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A key issue in understanding the evolutionary and developmental emergence of numerical cognition is to learn what mechanism(s) support perception and representation of quantitative information. Two such systems have been proposed, one for dealing with approximate representation of sets of items across an extended numerical range and another for highly precise representation of only small numbers of items. Evidence for the first system is abundant across species and in many tests with human adults and children, whereas the second system is primarily evident in research with children and in some tests with nonhuman animals. A recent paper (Choo & Franconeri, 2014) with adult humans also reported “superprecise” representation of small sets of items in comparison to large sets of items, which would provide more support for the presence of a second system in human adults. We first presented capuchin monkeys with a test similar to that of Choo and Franconeri in which small sets or large sets with the same ratios had to be discriminated. We then presented the same monkeys with an expanded range of comparisons in the small number range (all comparisons of 1 to 9 items) and the large number range (all comparisons of 10 to 90 items in 10-item increments). Capuchin monkeys showed no increased precision for small over large sets in making these discriminations in either experiment. These data indicate a difference in the performance of monkeys to that of adult humans, and specifically that monkeys do not show improved discrimination performance for small sets relative to large sets when the relative numerical differences are held constant.

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The discrimination of discrete and continuous amounts in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Cited by 75 publications

References 51 publications

Quantity Discrimination in Domestic Rats, Rattus norvegicus

Quantity Discrimination in Domestic Rats, Rattus norvegicus

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) treat small and large numbers of items similarly during a relative quantity judgment task

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