January 12, 2010

What is comparative cognition?

What is studied?

What approaches are taken?

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

Review from last class• American vs European approaches

Species used:

From Shettleworth (2009), Behav Process. 80, 210-217

Why is animal behaviour studied in psych department, not zoology?

4 main reasons:• Uniqueness• Control & irreversible effects • Simplicity & generality• Continuity

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

For practical and ethical reasons, we can have greater control in animals over both:• Genes• Environments

Irreversible Effects:• Drugs, lesions, gene manipulations

Insights from Model Systems• Mendel studied peas• Impact on study of schizophrenia

Generality of principles• Building blocks of cognition

Neurobiological continuity• e.g. Hippocampal lesions in mice and men

Evolutionary continuity• Divergent and convergent evolution• Analagous vs homologous traits

Tim

e

HumansRatsMicePigeons

Tim

e

HumansRatsMicePigeons

3 main areas:

• Basic processes

• Physical cognition

• Social cognition

Includes:• Perception• Attention• Memory• Associative leaning• Category and concept learning

Includes:• Time• Space• Number• Tool Use• Causal understanding

Includes:• Social networks

Dominance structures Social Relationships Morality and ethics

• Theory of Mind• Social learning

Observational learning Imitation

• Communication & Language

How is information acquired or learned?

How is information processed?

How is information retained?

Types of Studies 4 approaches to studying animal

behaviour:• Naturalistic Observation (Ethological)• Field Experiments• Behavioural Experiments• Behavioural Neuroscience (Physiological)

Named for ethologist Niko Tinbergen

Proximate (How) vs Ultimate (Why)

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

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