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Salas-Morellón L, Palacios-Huerta I, Call J. Dynamic inconsistency in great apes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18130. [PMID: 39103396 PMCID: PMC11300655 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67771-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
When presented with the option of either an immediate benefit or a larger, later reward, we may behave impatiently by choosing instant gratification. Nonetheless, when we can make the same decision ahead of time and plan for the future, we tend to make more patient choices. Here, we explored whether great apes share this core feature of human decision-making, often referred to as dynamic inconsistency. We found that orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas tended to act impatiently and with considerable variability between individuals when choosing between an immediate reward and a larger-later reward, which is a commonly employed testing method in the field. However, with the inclusion of a front-end delay for both alternatives, their decisions became more patient and homogeneous. These results show that great apes are dynamically inconsistent. They also suggest that, when choosing between future outcomes, they are more patient than previously reported. We advocate for the inclusion of diverse time ranges in comparative research, especially considering the intertwinement of intertemporal choices and future-oriented behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Salas-Morellón
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Ignacio Palacios-Huerta
- Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
- Ikerbasque Foundation at the University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Josep Call
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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2
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Pessoa L. Noncortical cognition: integration of information for close-proximity behavioral problem-solving. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2024; 55:101329. [PMID: 38655379 PMCID: PMC11034795 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2023.101329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Animals face behavioral problems that can be conceptualized in terms of a gradient of spatial and temporal proximity. I propose that solving close-proximity behavioral problems involves integrating disparate types of information in complex and flexible ways. In this framework, the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is understood as a key region involved in close-proximity motivated cognition. Anatomically, the PAG has access to signals across the neuroaxis via extensive connectivity with cortex, subcortex, and brainstem. However, the flow of signals is not unidirectional, as the PAG projects to the cortex directly, and further ascending signal flow is attained via the midline thalamus. Overall, the anatomical organization of the PAG allows is to be a critical hub engaged in cognition "here and now".
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Pessoa
- Department of Psychology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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3
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Lojo-Seoane C, Facal D, Delgado-Losada ML, Rubio-Valdehita S, López-Higes R, Frades-Payo B, Pereiro AX. Normative scores for attentional tests used by the Spanish consortium for ageing normative data (SCAND) study: Trail Making Test, Digit Symbol and Letter Cancellation. Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 37:1766-1786. [PMID: 36772821 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2023.2173304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Objective: This paper reports normative data for different attentional tests obtained from a sample of middle-aged and older native Spanish adults and considering effects of age, educational level and sex. Method: 2,597 cognitively intact participants, aged from 50 to 98 years old, participated voluntarily in the SCAND consortium studies. The statistical procedure included conversion of percentile ranges into scaled scores. The effects of age, education and sex were taken into account. Linear regressions were used to calculate adjusted scaled scores. Results: Scaled scores and percentiles corresponding to the TMT, Digit Symbol and Letter Cancellation Task are shown. Additional tables show the values to be added to or subtracted from the scaled scores, for age and education in the case of the TMT and Letter Cancellation Task measures, and for education in the case of the Digit Symbol subtest. Conclusions: The current norms provide clinically useful data for evaluating Spanish people aged 50 to 98 years old and contribute to improving detection of initial symptoms of cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Lojo-Seoane
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - David Facal
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Luisa Delgado-Losada
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Rubio-Valdehita
- Department of Social, Work and Differential Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón López-Higes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Arturo X Pereiro
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Ash H, Goy RW, Spaulding A, Colman RJ, Corbett CJ, Ziegler TE. Cognitive development from infancy to young adulthood in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Effect of age, sex, and hormones on learning and affective state. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22430. [PMID: 37860906 PMCID: PMC10804839 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Studies looking at individual variability in cognition have increased in recent years. We followed 43 marmosets (21 males, 22 females) from infancy to young adulthood. At 3-months old, marmosets were trained to touch a rewarded stimulus. At 9-, 15-, and 21-months old, they were given visual discrimination and cognitive bias tests, and urine samples were collected to examine hormone levels. Marmosets were significantly more successful learners at 15 months than 9 months. Individuals who were more successful learners at 9 months were also more successful at 15 months, with more male learners than expected at 15 months. At 9 months, learning success was associated with higher cortisol levels. At 15 months, males with higher estradiol levels were more successful learners, whereas at 21 months, females with higher estradiol and cortisol levels tended to be less successful learners and more pessimistic. Nine months, therefore, appears to be an important developmental timepoint for acquiring cognitive control, which has developed by 15 months. Steroids may have differential effects on each sex, with complex interactions between gonadal and adrenal hormones having an influence on cognitive function over the lifespan. This longitudinal study offers new insight into cognition, including its development and biological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Robinson W. Goy
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Abigail Spaulding
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Ricki J. Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Cody J. Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
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Xia LL, Li JD, Duan F, Zhang J, Mu LL, Wang LJ, Jiao CY, Song X, Wang Z, Chen JX, Wang JJ, Wang Y, Zhang XC, Jiao DL. Effects of Online Game and Short Video Behavior on Academic Delay of Gratification - Mediating Effects of Anxiety, Depression and Retrospective Memory. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:4353-4365. [PMID: 37908679 PMCID: PMC10615256 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s432196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Learner dependence on short videos has many pitfalls for learning outcomes, but the negative effects of excessive short video use have been little discussed in the learning psychology literature. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of excessive short video use on anxiety, depression, prospective memory, and academically delayed gratification (ADOG) in relation to online gaming-related behaviours, and explored the possible mechanisms by which excessive online gaming and short video use may lead to decreased ADOG, to expand our understanding of excessive short video use. Methods Based on the whole class random sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted among college students in Northern Anhui, China from May 7 to July 27, 2022. The questionnaires included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire Scale (PHQ-9), Prospective and Retrospective Memory (PRM) Questionnaire, and ADOG Scale. Results A total of 1016 participants completed the survey. The study found that of all the internet behaviors, 20.8% of the college students mainly played online games, 43.9% mainly played short videos, and 35.3% conducted other online behaviors. When compared with other internet behaviors, online gaming and short video behaviors can cause more serious anxiety/depression and worse PRM and ADOG scores. As time spent playing online games and short videos increased, anxiety and depression became worse, and the scores for PRM and ADOG also declined. Anxiety, depression, and PRM mediate the relationship between time spent on online gaming/short videos and ADOG. Conclusion Excessive short videos behaviour may produce the same psychological problems and learning problems as online gaming disorder. Excessive short video and online gaming behaviors may affect ADOG performance through anxiety, depression, and prospective memory. These findings could be used as a basis for future studies on the improvement of ADOG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ling Xia
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun-Da Li
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Duan
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin-Lin Mu
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Jin Wang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chen-Yang Jiao
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xun Song
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ze Wang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin-Xuan Chen
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing-Jing Wang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Chu Zhang
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dong-Liang Jiao
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China
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Lang B, Kahnau P, Hohlbaum K, Mieske P, Andresen NP, Boon MN, Thöne-Reineke C, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Challenges and advanced concepts for the assessment of learning and memory function in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1230082. [PMID: 37809039 PMCID: PMC10551171 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1230082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the formation and retrieval of memories are still an active area of research and discussion. Manifold models have been proposed and refined over the years, with most assuming a dichotomy between memory processes involving non-conscious and conscious mechanisms. Despite our incomplete understanding of the underlying mechanisms, tests of memory and learning count among the most performed behavioral experiments. Here, we will discuss available protocols for testing learning and memory using the example of the most prevalent animal species in research, the laboratory mouse. A wide range of protocols has been developed in mice to test, e.g., object recognition, spatial learning, procedural memory, sequential problem solving, operant- and fear conditioning, and social recognition. Those assays are carried out with individual subjects in apparatuses such as arenas and mazes, which allow for a high degree of standardization across laboratories and straightforward data interpretation but are not without caveats and limitations. In animal research, there is growing concern about the translatability of study results and animal welfare, leading to novel approaches beyond established protocols. Here, we present some of the more recent developments and more advanced concepts in learning and memory testing, such as multi-step sequential lockboxes, assays involving groups of animals, as well as home cage-based assays supported by automated tracking solutions; and weight their potential and limitations against those of established paradigms. Shifting the focus of learning tests from the classical experimental chamber to settings which are more natural for rodents comes with a new set of challenges for behavioral researchers, but also offers the opportunity to understand memory formation and retrieval in a more conclusive way than has been attainable with conventional test protocols. We predict and embrace an increase in studies relying on methods involving a higher degree of automatization, more naturalistic- and home cage-based experimental setting as well as more integrated learning tasks in the future. We are confident these trends are suited to alleviate the burden on animal subjects and improve study designs in memory research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lang
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Animal Welfare, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Kahnau
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Mieske
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Animal Welfare, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Niek P. Andresen
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
- Computer Vision and Remote Sensing, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus N. Boon
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
- Modeling of Cognitive Processes, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christa Thöne-Reineke
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Animal Welfare, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Animal Welfare, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
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Kean D, Renner E, Atkinson M, Caldwell CA. Capuchin monkeys learn to use information equally well from individual exploration and social demonstration. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:435-450. [PMID: 36064832 PMCID: PMC9950169 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01654-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The limited evidence of complex culture in non-human primates contrasts strikingly with human behaviour. This may be because non-human primates fail to use information acquired socially as effectively as they use information acquired individually. Here, monkeys were trained on a stimulus discrimination task with a win-stay, lose-shift (WSLS) reward structure. In a social learning condition, the experimenter performed an information trial by choosing between the available stimuli; in an individual condition, monkeys made this choice themselves. The monkeys' subsequent test trials displayed the same stimulus array. They were rewarded for repetition of rewarded ('win-stay') and avoidance of unrewarded ('lose-shift') information trial selections. Nine monkeys reached our pre-determined performance criterion on the initial two-stimulus stage. Their ability to generalise the WSLS strategy was then evaluated by transfer to a three-stimulus stage. Minimal differences were found in information use between the social and individual conditions on two-stimuli. However, a bias was found towards repetition of the information trial, regardless of information source condition or whether the information trial selection was rewarded. Proficient subjects were found to generalise the strategy to three-stimuli following rewarded information trials, but performed at chance on unrewarded. Again, this was not found to vary by source condition. Overall, results suggest no fundamental barrier to non-human primates' use of information from a social source. However, the apparent struggle to learn from the absence of rewards hints at a difficulty with using information acquired from unsuccessful attempts; this could be linked to the limited evidence for cumulative culture in non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna Kean
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
- Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Product Ontwikkeling (APOPO), Sokoine University of Agriculture, PO Box 3078, Morogoro, Tanzania.
| | - Elizabeth Renner
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Mark Atkinson
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
- School of Management and School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, UK
| | - Christine A Caldwell
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
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Vallender EJ, Hotchkiss CE, Lewis AD, Rogers J, Stern JA, Peterson SM, Ferguson B, Sayers K. Nonhuman primate genetic models for the study of rare diseases. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:20. [PMID: 36721163 PMCID: PMC9887761 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02619-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical research and development relies heavily upon translationally valid models of disease. A major difficulty in understanding the biology of, and developing treatments for, rare disease is the lack of animal models. It is important that these models not only recapitulate the presentation of the disease in humans, but also that they share functionally equivalent underlying genetic causes. Nonhuman primates share physiological, anatomical, and behavioral similarities with humans resulting from close evolutionary relationships and high genetic homology. As the post-genomic era develops and next generation sequencing allows for the resequencing and screening of large populations of research animals, naturally occurring genetic variation in nonhuman primates with clinically relevant phenotypes is regularly emerging. Here we review nonhuman primate models of multiple rare genetic diseases with a focus on the similarities and differences in manifestation and etiologies across species. We discuss how these models are being developed and how they can offer new tools and opportunities for researchers interested in exploring novel therapeutics for these and other genetic diseases. Modeling human genetic diseases in translationally relevant nonhuman primates presents new prospects for development of therapeutics and a better understanding of rare diseases. The post-genomic era offers the opportunity for the discovery and further development of more models like those discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Vallender
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS USA
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA USA
| | - Charlotte E. Hotchkiss
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Anne D. Lewis
- Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI USA
| | - Joshua A. Stern
- University of California-Davis, Davis, CA USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA USA
| | - Samuel M. Peterson
- Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Betsy Ferguson
- Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Ken Sayers
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX USA
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, TX USA
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The Benefits and Challenges of Conducting Primate Research in Different Settings. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010133. [PMID: 36611742 PMCID: PMC9817835 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Internationally, primate research takes place in laboratories, zoos, sanctuaries, and the wild. All of these settings present unique advantages and challenges in terms of methodology, translatability, animal welfare, and ethics. In this novel commentary, we explore the scientific and ethical benefits and drawbacks of conducting non-invasive psychological research with primates in each setting. We also suggest ways to overcome some of the barriers. We argue that while there may be greater experimental control in laboratory-based research, settings that more closely mirror primates' natural habitats are generally better suited to meet their specialized needs. More naturalistic research settings, including field studies, may also circumvent some ethical concerns associated with research in captivity, and yield more ecologically valid data.
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10
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Jiao CY, Song X, Shao WY, Feng LP, Jiao DL. The chain-mediation pathway of gender regarding academic delay of gratification in college students is regulated by anxiety/depressive mood and prospective memory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1015331. [PMID: 36570991 PMCID: PMC9773976 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1015331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This study investigated the relationship between gender and academic delay of gratification (ADOG) in college students and explored the mediating roles of anxiety/depressive mood and prospective memory to provide a theoretical intervention approach based on internal mechanisms. Methods Random cluster sampling was conducted on 609 students from three universities situated in the Province of Anhui, China with the use of data from several questionnaires: the general information questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Prospective and Retrospective Memory (PRM) Questionnaire, and ADOG Scale. Results The females' anxiety and depression levels were lower than that of the males, while the female PRM and ADOG performance improved when compared to that of the males. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with PRM and ADOG, respectively, whereas the PRM and ADOG data demonstrated a positive correlation. Depression/anxiety and prospective memory also played a chain intermediary role between gender and ADOG. Conclusion Gender not only directly affects college students' ADOG, but it also has indirect effects through depression/anxiety and prospective memory. Therefore, it is very important to treat students' mental health differently according to gender to improve prospective memory and delayed academic satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yang Jiao
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Xun Song
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Wen-Yi Shao
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Lin-Pu Feng
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Dong-Liang Jiao
- School of Mental Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China,*Correspondence: Dong-Liang Jiao,
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Kaczanowska J, Ganglberger F, Chernomor O, Kargl D, Galik B, Hess A, Moodley Y, von Haeseler A, Bühler K, Haubensak W. Molecular archaeology of human cognitive traits. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111287. [PMID: 36044840 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The brains and minds of our human ancestors remain inaccessible for experimental exploration. Therefore, we reconstructed human cognitive evolution by projecting nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratios (ω values) in mammalian phylogeny onto the anatomically modern human (AMH) brain. This atlas retraces human neurogenetic selection and allows imputation of ancestral evolution in task-related functional networks (FNs). Adaptive evolution (high ω values) is associated with excitatory neurons and synaptic function. It shifted from FNs for motor control in anthropoid ancestry (60-41 mya) to attention in ancient hominoids (26-19 mya) and hominids (19-7.4 mya). Selection in FNs for language emerged with an early hominin ancestor (7.4-1.7 mya) and was later accompanied by adaptive evolution in FNs for strategic thinking during recent (0.8 mya-present) speciation of AMHs. This pattern mirrors increasingly complex cognitive demands and suggests that co-selection for language alongside strategic thinking may have separated AMHs from their archaic Denisovan and Neanderthal relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kaczanowska
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Olga Chernomor
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominic Kargl
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bence Galik
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Computing, Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF), Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hess
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fahrstrasse 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, Republic of South Africa
| | - Arndt von Haeseler
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 29, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Bühler
- VRVis Research Center, Donau-City Strasse 11, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wulf Haubensak
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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12
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Sphingolipid control of cognitive functions in health and disease. Prog Lipid Res 2022; 86:101162. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Roussy M, Mendoza-Halliday D, Martinez-Trujillo JC. Neural Substrates of Visual Perception and Working Memory: Two Sides of the Same Coin or Two Different Coins? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:764177. [PMID: 34899197 PMCID: PMC8662382 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.764177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual perception occurs when a set of physical signals emanating from the environment enter the visual system and the brain interprets such signals as a percept. Visual working memory occurs when the brain produces and maintains a mental representation of a percept while the physical signals corresponding to that percept are not available. Early studies in humans and non-human primates demonstrated that lesions of the prefrontal cortex impair performance during visual working memory tasks but not during perceptual tasks. These studies attributed a fundamental role in working memory and a lesser role in visual perception to the prefrontal cortex. Indeed, single cell recording studies have found that neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex of macaques encode working memory representations via persistent firing, validating the results of lesion studies. However, other studies have reported that neurons in some areas of the parietal and temporal lobe-classically associated with visual perception-similarly encode working memory representations via persistent firing. This prompted a line of enquiry about the role of the prefrontal and other associative cortices in working memory and perception. Here, we review evidence from single neuron studies in macaque monkeys examining working memory representations across different areas of the visual hierarchy and link them to studies examining the role of the same areas in visual perception. We conclude that neurons in early visual areas of both ventral (V1-V2-V4) and dorsal (V1-V3-MT) visual pathways of macaques mainly encode perceptual signals. On the other hand, areas downstream from V4 and MT contain subpopulations of neurons that encode both perceptual and/or working memory signals. Differences in cortical architecture (neuronal types, layer composition, and synaptic density and distribution) may be linked to the differential encoding of perceptual and working memory signals between early visual areas and higher association areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Roussy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Diego Mendoza-Halliday
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Julio C. Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Self-awareness in Dementia: a Taxonomy of Processes, Overview of Findings, and Integrative Framework. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2021; 21:69. [PMID: 34817738 PMCID: PMC8613100 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-021-01155-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Self-awareness, the capacity of becoming the object of one’s own awareness, has been a frontier of knowledge, but only recently scientific approaches to the theme have advanced. Self-awareness has important clinical implications, and a finer understanding of this concept may improve the clinical management of people with dementia. The current article aims to explore self-awareness, from a neurobiological perspective, in dementia. Recent Findings A taxonomy of self-awareness processes is presented, discussing how these can be structured across different levels of cognitive complexity. Findings on self-awareness in dementia are reviewed, indicating the relative preservation of capacities such as body ownership and agency, despite impairments in higher-level cognitive processes, such as autobiographical memory and emotional regulation. Summary An integrative framework, based on predictive coding and compensatory abilities linked to the resilience of self-awareness in dementia, is discussed, highlighting possible avenues for future research into the topic.
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Abstract
In this My Word, Joseph LeDoux describes how his work as a graduate student got him interested in human consciousness. Although he has not studied this topic since 1970s, he never stopped thinking and writing about it during his four-decade career exploring how non-conscious processes involving the amygdala detect and respond to danger. Here, he tells us what is on his mind about consciousness these days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 1003, USA; Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medial School, New York, NY 1003, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
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16
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De Castro V, Girard P. Location and temporal memory of objects declines in aged marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:9138. [PMID: 33911122 PMCID: PMC8080792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory decline is an early marker of cognitive aging in human. Although controversial in animals and called “episodic-like memory”, several models have been successfully developed, however they rarely focused on ageing. While marmoset is an emerging primate model in aging science, episodic-like memory has never been tested in this species and importantly in aged marmosets. Here, we examined if the recall of the what-when and what-where building blocks of episodic-like memory declines in ageing marmosets. We developed a naturalistic approach using spontaneous exploration of real objects by young and old marmosets in the home cage. We implemented a three-trial task with 1 week inter-trial interval. Two different sets of identical objects were presented in sample trials 1 and 2, respectively. For the test trial, two objects from each set were presented in a former position and two in a new one. We quantified the exploratory behaviour and calculated discrimination indices in a cohort of 20 marmosets. Young animals presented a preserved memory for combined what-where, and what-when components of the experiment, which declined with aging. These findings lead one to expect episodic-like memory deficits in aged marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa De Castro
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Toulouse, France. .,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - UMR 5549, Toulouse, France.
| | - Pascal Girard
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Toulouse, France. .,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Toulouse, France.
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17
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Quantifying errors of bias and discriminability in conditional-discrimination performance in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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18
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Ash H, Ziegler TE, Colman RJ. Early learning in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): Behavior in the family group is related to preadolescent cognitive performance. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23159. [PMID: 32515834 PMCID: PMC7440670 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early environment can have a major impact on development, with family life known to play an important role. Longitudinal studies can therefore help increase our understanding of variance in cognitive abilities in young animals, as well as over time. We followed 22 marmosets (11 male and 11 female) from infancy through to early adolescence. At 3 months old, the marmosets were trained to reliably touch a rewarded stimulus. At 5 months, behavior was observed within the natal group. At 9 months, the marmosets were given a visual discrimination task to assess learning ability. Mann-Whitney U tests found no sex or family size differences in number of errors at 3 or 9 months. While no significant relationships were found between behavior in the family and learning at 3 months, significant negative correlations were found between duration spent in locomotion and learning errors (p = .05), as well as between frequency of calm vocalizations and learning errors (p = .001) at 9 months. A U-shape curve was found between amount of social play and learning at 9 months. Positive family interactions, including moderate amounts of play, as well as calm individual behavior, may therefore be important in learning. This study sheds light on cognitive development in much younger marmosets than previously studied, and helps increase understanding of how individual differences in learning may arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ricki J. Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, USA
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19
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Templer VL, Gazes RP, Hampton RR. Co-operation of long-term and working memory representations in simultaneous chaining by rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta). Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 72:2208-2224. [PMID: 30827186 DOI: 10.1177/1747021819838432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We studied the memory representations that control execution of action sequences by training rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) to touch sets of five images in a predetermined arbitrary order (simultaneous chaining). In Experiment 1, we found that this training resulted in mental representations of ordinal position rather than learning associative chains, replicating the work of others. We conducted novel analyses of performance on probe tests consisting of two images "derived" from the full five-image lists (i.e., test B, D from list A→B→C→D→E). We found a "first item effect" such that monkeys responded most quickly to images that occurred early in the list in which they had been learned, indicating that monkeys covertly execute known lists mentally until an image on the screen matches the one stored in memory. Monkeys also made an ordinal comparison of the two images presented at test based on long-term memory of positional information, resulting in a "symbolic distance effect." Experiment 2 indicated that ordinal representations were based on absolute, rather than on relative, positional information because subjects did not link two lists into one large list after linking training, unlike what occurs in transitive inference. We further examined the contents of working memory during list execution in Experiments 3 and 4 and found evidence for a prospective, rather than a retrospective, coding of position in the lists. These results indicate that serial expertise in simultaneous chaining results in robust absolute ordinal coding in long-term memory, with rapidly updating prospective coding of position in working memory during list execution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Regina Paxton Gazes
- 2 Department of Psychology and Animal Behavior Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Robert R Hampton
- 3 Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Abstract
We investigate which of the higher cognitive abilities or types of intelligence characteristic of humans are found, even in preliminary form, in non-human animals, predominantly primates, or whether qualitatively different ("unique") human abilities exist. This concerns (1) tool use and fabrication, (2) problem solving, (3) gaze following, (4) mirror self-recognition, (5) imitation, (6) metacognition, (7) theory of mind, (8) consciousness, (9) prosociality, and (10) language. We found that none of these abilities can be regarded as unique to humans without precursors in non-human primates. The observed differences in cognitive functions, underlying brain mechanisms and resulting behaviors correlate best with differences in the information processing capacity as an equivalent of general intelligence based on the number of cortical neurons, packing density and axonal conduction velocity plus long-range cortical fascicles. The biggest quantitative change appears to concern the origin of syntactical language, but this was preceded by an increased mental ability to manipulate sequential events within working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Roth
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Brain Research Institute, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Ursula Dicke
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Brain Research Institute, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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21
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Precise relative-quantity judgement in the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius Pallas. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:277-289. [PMID: 30707366 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01244-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Applying the classical experimental scheme of training animals with food rewards to discriminate between quantities of visual stimuli, we demonstrated that not only can striped field mice Apodemus agrarius discriminate between clearly distinctive quantities such as 5 and 10, but some of these mice also exhibit high accuracy in discriminating between quantities that differ only by one. The latter include both small (such as 2 versus 3) and relatively large (such as 5 versus 6, and 8 versus 9) quantities of elements. This is the first evidence of precise relative-quantity judgement in wild rodents. We found striking individual variation in cognitive performance among striped field mice, which possibly reflects individual cognitive variation in natural populations. We speculate that high accuracy in differentiating large quantities is based on the adaptive ability of wild rodents to capture subtle changes in their environment. We suggest that the striped field mouse may be a powerful model species to develop advanced cognitive tests for comparative studies of numerical competence in animals and for understanding evolutionary roots of quantity processing.
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22
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Lameira AR, Call J. Time-space-displaced responses in the orangutan vocal system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaau3401. [PMID: 30443595 PMCID: PMC6235548 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau3401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
One of the defining features of language is displaced reference-the capacity to transmit information about something that is not present or about a past or future event. It is very rare in nature and has not been shown in any nonhuman primate, confounding, as such, any understanding of its precursors and evolution in the human lineage. Here, we describe a vocal phenomenon in a wild great ape with unparalleled affinities with displaced reference. When exposed to predator models, Sumatran orangutan mothers temporarily suppressed alarm calls up to 20 min until the model was out of sight. Subjects delayed their vocal responses in function of perceived danger for themselves, but four major predictions for stress-based mechanisms were not met. Conversely, vocal delay was also a function of perceived danger for another-an infant-suggesting high-order cognition. Our findings suggest that displaced reference in language is likely to have originally piggybacked on akin behaviors in an ancestral hominid.
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A computerized testing system for primates: Cognition, welfare, and the Rumbaughx. Behav Processes 2018; 156:37-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Templer VL, Brown EK, Hampton RR. Rhesus monkeys metacognitively monitor memories of the order of events. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11541. [PMID: 30068995 PMCID: PMC6070473 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30001-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human working memory is a capacity- and duration-limited system in which retention and manipulation of information is subject to metacognitive monitoring and control. At least some nonhuman animals appear to also monitor and control the contents of working memory, but only relatively simple cases where animals monitor or control the presence or absence of single memories have been studied. Here we combine a comparatively complex order memory task with methodology that assesses the capacity to introspect about memory. Monkeys observed sequential presentations of five images, and at test, reported which of two images from the list had appeared first during study. Concurrently, they chose to complete or avoid these tests on a trial-by-trial basis. Monkeys "knew when they knew" the correct response. They were less accurate discriminating images that had appeared close in time to one another during study and were more likely to avoid these difficult tests than they were to avoid easier tests. These results indicate that monkeys can metacognitively monitor relatively complex properties of the contents of working memory, including the quality of representations of temporal relations among images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Templer
- Department of Psychology, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Sq., Providence, RI, 02918, USA.
| | - Emily Kathryn Brown
- Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Robert R Hampton
- Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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25
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Smith TR, Beran MJ. Task switching in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) during computerized categorization tasks. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-ANIMAL LEARNING AND COGNITION 2018; 44:229-246. [PMID: 29847983 DOI: 10.1037/xan0000174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present experiments extended to monkeys a previously used abstract categorization procedure (Castro & Wasserman, 2016) where pigeons had categorized arrays of clipart icons based upon two task rules: the number of clipart objects in the array or the variability of objects in the array. Experiment 1 replicated Castro and Wasserman by using capuchin monkeys and rhesus monkeys and reported that monkeys' performances were similar to pigeons' in terms of acquisition, pattern of errors, and the absence of switch costs. Furthermore, monkeys' insensitivity to the added irrelevant information suggested that an associative (rather than rule-based) categorization mechanism was dominant. Experiment 2 was conducted to include categorization cue reversals to determine (a) whether the monkeys would quickly adapt to the reversals and inhibit interference from a prereversal task rule (consistent with a rule-based mechanism) and (b) whether the latency to make a response prior to a correct or incorrect outcome was informative about the presence of a cognitive mechanism. The cue reassignment produced profound and long-lasting performance deficits, and a long reacquisition phase suggested the involvement of associative learning processes; however, monkeys also displayed longer latencies to choose prior to correct responses on challenging trials, suggesting the involvement of nonassociative processes. Together these performances suggest a mix of associative and cognitive-control processes governing monkey categorization judgments. (PsycINFO Database Record
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26
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Templer VL, Lee KA, Preston AJ. Rats know when they remember: transfer of metacognitive responding across odor-based delayed match-to-sample tests. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:891-906. [PMID: 28669115 PMCID: PMC5709207 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1109-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Metamemory entails cognitively assessing the strength of one's memories. We tested the ability of nine Long-Evans rats to distinguish between remembering and forgetting by presenting a decline option that allowed a four-choice odor-based delayed match to sample (DMTS) tests to be by-passed. Rats performed significantly better on tests they chose to take than on tests they were forced to take, indicating metacognitive responding. However, rather than control by internal mnemonic cues, one alternative explanation is that decline use is based on external test-specific cues that become associated with increased rewards overtime. To examine this possibility, we tested rats on three generalization tests in which external contingencies were inconsistent and therefore could not serve as discriminative cues. Rats transferred adaptive use of the decline response in tests that eliminated memory by presenting no sample, increased memory by presenting multiple samples, and both weakened and strengthened memory by varying the retention interval. Further, subjects chose to take or decline the test before encountering the memory test, providing evidence that rats based their metacognitive responding on internal cues rather than external ones. To our knowledge, this is the first robust evidence for metamemory in rats using the DMTS decline-test paradigm in which several possible sources of external stimulus control can be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Templer
- Department of Psychology, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI, 02918, USA.
| | - Keith A Lee
- Department of Psychology, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI, 02918, USA
| | - Aidan J Preston
- Department of Psychology, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI, 02918, USA
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Wright AA, Magnotti JF, Katz JS, Leonard K, Vernouillet A, Kelly DM. Corvids Outperform Pigeons and Primates in Learning a Basic Concept. Psychol Sci 2017; 28:437-444. [PMID: 28151701 DOI: 10.1177/0956797616685871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Corvids (birds of the family Corvidae) display intelligent behavior previously ascribed only to primates, but such feats are not directly comparable across species. To make direct species comparisons, we used a same/different task in the laboratory to assess abstract-concept learning in black-billed magpies ( Pica hudsonia). Concept learning was tested with novel pictures after training. Concept learning improved with training-set size, and test accuracy eventually matched training accuracy-full concept learning-with a 128-picture set; this magpie performance was equivalent to that of Clark's nutcrackers (a species of corvid) and monkeys (rhesus, capuchin) and better than that of pigeons. Even with an initial 8-item picture set, both corvid species showed partial concept learning, outperforming both monkeys and pigeons. Similar corvid performance refutes the hypothesis that nutcrackers' prolific cache-location memory accounts for their superior concept learning, because magpies rely less on caching. That corvids with "primitive" neural architectures evolved to equal primates in full concept learning and even to outperform them on the initial 8-item picture test is a testament to the shared (convergent) survival importance of abstract-concept learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony A Wright
- 1 Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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