University of Padua

Middle identification for rhesus monkeys is influenced by number but not extent

Rugani, Rosa and Platt, Michael and Zhaoying, Chen and Brannon, Elizabeth (2020) Middle identification for rhesus monkeys is influenced by number but not extent. [Data Collection]

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Abstract concept learning provides a fundamental building block for many cognitive functions in humans. Here we address whether rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) can learn the abstract concept of “middle” in a series of objects. First, we trained monkeys to select the middle dot in a horizontal series of three dots presented on a touchscreen. Monkeys maintained a preference to choose the middle dot despite changes in the appearance, location, and spacing of the horizontal series of dots. They maintained high performance when the color, shape and the length of the stimuli were new, indicating that their responses did not depend upon the particular appearance of the array items. Next, we asked whether monkeys maintained this preference for the middle in an expanded seven dot series. Although accuracy decreased when the number of dots was increased, monkeys continued to preferentially select the middle dot. Our results demonstrate that rhesus macaques can learn to use a general principle of middle based on the ordinal relationships within a series of items.

DOI: 10.25430/researchdata.cab.unipd.it.00000372
Keywords: Middle, number sense, numerical cognition, rhesus monkeys, comparative cognition, center, abstract concepts.
Subjects: Life Sciences > Neuroscience and Neural Disorders: Neural cell function and signalling, systems neuroscience, neural bases of cognitive and behavioural processes, neurological and psychiatric disorders > Neural bases of cognitive processes (e.g. memory, learning, attention)
Life Sciences > Neuroscience and Neural Disorders: Neural cell function and signalling, systems neuroscience, neural bases of cognitive and behavioural processes, neurological and psychiatric disorders > Neural bases of behaviour (e.g. sleep, consciousness, addiction)
Department: Departments > Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale (DPG)
Depositing User: Rosa Rugani
Date Deposited: 26 Aug 2020 09:48
Last Modified: 26 Aug 2020 09:48
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Rugani, Rosarosa.rugani@unipd.itorcid.org/0000-0001-5294-6306
Platt, Michaelmplatt@pennmedicine.upenn.eduorcid.org/0000-0003-3912-8821
Zhaoying, Chenzyc95@upenn.eduorcid.org/0000-0002-2231-7135
Brannon, Elizabethebrannon@psych.upenn.eduUNSPECIFIED
Type of data: Database
Research funder: European’s Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant
Research project title: SNANeB - At the roots of Spatial Numerical Association: from behavioural observation to Neural Basis
Grant number: 795242
Collection period:
FromTo
20192020
Resource language: English
Metadata language: English
Publisher: Research Data Unipd
Date: 20 August 2020
Copyright holders: The Author
URI: https://researchdata.cab.unipd.it/id/eprint/372

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