String-pulling in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus): performance in discrimination tasks
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Abstract
Many studies have used the string-pulling paradigm in order to assess causal understanding of the physical domain in a great variety of species of birds, primates and other mammals. Another area of interest is how subjects manage to solve these tasks, i.e., through trial-error learning, relying on perceptual cues, or through some kind of insight. In our study, we tested three juvenile female African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) on some string discrimination tasks. Our individuals seemed to base their choices on associations with perceptual cues rather than in a functional understanding of the tasks. They relied on trial-error learning instead of insight, and their performances were influenced by operant conditioning. However, their behaviour was goal-directed, as they frequently changed their first choice once they realized that they had chosen the wrong string.
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Chaves, A.B. & Colell, M. (2017). String-pulling in Martin’s Spot-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans martini): evidence of physical continuity understanding. — Behaviour 154: 719-740. DOI:10.1163/1568539X-00003441.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1073 | 280 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 88 | 8 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 108 | 13 | 1 |
String-pulling in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus): performance in discrimination tasks
In: BehaviourSearch for other papers by Adriano Bruno Chaves Molina in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Teresa Masuet Cullell in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Montserrat Colell Mimó in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Many studies have used the string-pulling paradigm in order to assess causal understanding of the physical domain in a great variety of species of birds, primates and other mammals. Another area of interest is how subjects manage to solve these tasks, i.e., through trial-error learning, relying on perceptual cues, or through some kind of insight. In our study, we tested three juvenile female African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) on some string discrimination tasks. Our individuals seemed to base their choices on associations with perceptual cues rather than in a functional understanding of the tasks. They relied on trial-error learning instead of insight, and their performances were influenced by operant conditioning. However, their behaviour was goal-directed, as they frequently changed their first choice once they realized that they had chosen the wrong string.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1073 | 280 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 88 | 8 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 108 | 13 | 1 |
