mental state representation: insights from non-human primates, alia martin

Mental state representation insights from non-human primates

Alia Martin Harvard University

Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2016)

Cognitive Origins

How do monkeys reason about the world around them?

cameraperson  

presenter  

monkey  

How do monkeys reason about mental states?

Reasoning about visual perception

Flombaum & Santos (2005)

Reasoning about visual perception

Facing  MONKEY  Compe8tor  

Facing  AWAY  

Compe8tor  

Results

Flombaum & Santos (2005)

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Reasoning about auditory perception

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Reasoning about auditory perception

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Reasoning about auditory perception

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Reasoning about auditory perception

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

NOISY                                  SILENT  

# of Monkeys

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Results

*  

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Reasoning about auditory perception

Santos, Nissen, & Ferrugia (2006)

Results

*  

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

# of Monkeys

   NOISY                                        SILENT  

Monkeys reason about perceptions…

What about beliefs?

Monkeys reason about perceptions…

What about beliefs?

False Beliefs in Infants

False Belief True Belief

EXPECTED EXPECTED UNEXPECTED UNEXPECTED

Results

0

5

10

15

20

25

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

expected unexpected expected unexpected

TRUE BELIEF FALSE BELIEF

*   *  

False Beliefs in Monkeys?

Do monkeys reason about beliefs to predict behavior?

Can monkeys represent false beliefs?

True Belief False Belief

EXPECTED EXPECTED UNEXPECTED UNEXPECTED

NOW: Monkey Results

.

1

2

3

4

5

0

FALSE BELIEFTRUE BELIEF

EXPECTED UNEXPECTED EXPECTED UNEXPECTED

DURA

TIO

N O

F LO

OKIN

G

(SECO

ND

S) *  

Monkeys reason about perceptions…

What about beliefs?

Not to predict behavior…

Do they show any sensitivity to beliefs?

Automatic Belief Processing

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

Automatic Belief Processing

Baby Thinks Agent Thinks Outcome

empty empty empty

empty empty

empty empty

empty

EXPECTED

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

?

Automatic Belief Processing

Baby Thinks Agent Thinks Outcome

empty empty empty

empty

empty empty

empty empty

EXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

Automatic Belief Processing

Kovacs, Teglas, & Endress (2010)

?

Automatic Belief Processing

Baby Thinks Agent Thinks Outcome

empty empty empty

empty

empty empty

empty empty

EXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

Automatic Belief Processing

Baby Thinks Agent Thinks Outcome

empty empty empty

empty

empty empty

empty empty

EXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

Automatic Belief Processing

Baby Thinks Agent Thinks Outcome

empty empty empty

empty

empty empty

empty empty

EXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

UNEXPECTED

Automatic Belief Processing

Are monkeys automatically influenced by others’ beliefs?

Automatic Beliefs in Monkeys?

Procedure

Familiarization 1

Familiarization 2

Automatic Beliefs in Monkeys?

Monkey TRUE BELIEF

Human TRUE BELIEF

Monkey FALSE BELIEF

Human FALSE BELIEF

TEST

Monkey TRUE BELIEF

Human FALSE BELIEF

Monkey FALSE BELIEF

Human TRUE BELIEF

0

1

2

3

4

Monkey TB Monkey FB

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Agent TB

Agent FB

Results

Human TB

Human FB

Conclusion

Monkeys reason about perceptions - they recognize that perception leads to knowledge

No evidence that monkeys represent false beliefs

- similar findings in other nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzees)

Conclusion

Monkeys reason about perceptions - they recognize that perception leads to knowledge

No evidence that monkeys represent false beliefs

- similar findings in other nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzees)

Conclusion

Monkeys reason about perceptions - they recognize that perception leads to knowledge

No evidence that monkeys represent false beliefs

- similar findings in other nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzees)

Conclusion

Monkeys reason about perceptions - they recognize that perception leads to knowledge

No evidence that monkeys represent false beliefs

- similar pattern of findings in other nonhuman primates (chimpanzees)

Thank you Laurie Santos CPRC