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Comparative Cognition Today

Comparative Cognition Today. January 12, 2010. Overview. What is comparative cognition? What is studied? What approaches are taken?. What is comparative cognition?. Comparative Cognition. Darwin:

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Comparative Cognition Today

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  1. Comparative Cognition Today January 12, 2010

  2. Overview What is comparative cognition? What is studied? What approaches are taken?

  3. What is comparative cognition?

  4. Comparative Cognition • Darwin: • “the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind” • Comparative cognition is: • A comparison of mental abilities of species • Cognitive abilities and capabilities • e.g. capabilities: Alex the Grey Parrot

  5. Past approaches From Shettleworth (2009), Behav Process. 80, 210-217 • Review from last class • American vs European approaches • Species used:

  6. Why Psychology? • Why is animal behaviour studied in psych department, not zoology? • 4 main reasons: • Uniqueness • Control & irreversible effects • Simplicity & generality • Continuity

  7. Uniqueness • Certain animals have unique properties that allow us to study subjects which could not be studied any other way: • Mice and genes • Giant Squid Axons • High pecking rates of pigeons • Echolocation in bats • Absolute pitch in songbirds

  8. Control & Irreversible Effects • For practical and ethical reasons, we can have greater control in animals over both: • Genes • Environments • Irreversible Effects: • Drugs, lesions, gene manipulations

  9. Simplicity & Generality • Insights from Model Systems • Mendel studied peas • Impact on study of schizophrenia • Generality of principles • Building blocks of cognition

  10. Continuity • Neurobiological continuity • e.g. Hippocampal lesions in mice and men • Evolutionary continuity • Divergent and convergent evolution • Analagous vs homologous traits

  11. Continuity Time Pigeons Mice Rats Humans

  12. Continuity Time Pigeons Mice Rats Humans

  13. What topics are studied?

  14. 3 main areas: • Basic processes • Physical cognition • Social cognition

  15. Basic Processes • Includes: • Perception • Attention • Memory • Associative leaning • Category and concept learning

  16. Physical Cognition • Includes: • Time • Space • Number • Tool Use • Causal understanding

  17. Social Cognition • Includes: • Social networks • Dominance structures • Social Relationships • Morality and ethics • Theory of Mind • Social learning • Observational learning • Imitation • Communication & Language

  18. Approaches to Studying Comparative Cognition

  19. Aspects of Cognition How is information acquired or learned? How is information processed? How is information retained?

  20. Types of Studies 4 approaches to studying animal behaviour: Naturalistic Observation (Ethological) Field Experiments Behavioural Experiments Behavioural Neuroscience (Physiological)

  21. Tinbergen’s Four Questions • Named for ethologist Niko Tinbergen • Proximate (How) vs Ultimate (Why)

  22. Proximate Questions • Causation: • Brain – e.g. Broca’s area • Hormones – e.g. Testosterone stimulates aggressive behaviour • Pheremones – e.g. Spatial behaviour, tracking • Development or Ontogeny • Nature/Nurture – genes and environment • Critical periods – e.g. language or imprinting

  23. Ultimate Questions • Function or Adaptation • How has an organism evolved for survival? • e.g. Birds fly south for warmth & food • e.g. Mammal nurture young • Phylogeny • Evolutionary explanations, other than adaptation • e.g. Genetic drift

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