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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
How Selective Is Social Learning In Dolphins?, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii, Deirdre Yeater, Lauren Highfill
How Selective Is Social Learning In Dolphins?, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii, Deirdre Yeater, Lauren Highfill
Psychology Faculty Publications
Social learning is an important aspect of dolphin social life and dolphin behavioral development. In addition to vocal social learning, dolphins discover behaviors for foraging, play, and social interactions by observing other members of their social group. But dolphins neither indiscriminately observe nor mindlessly mimic other dolphins. To the contrary, dolphin calves are quite selective in their choices of who to observe and/or imitate. Calves are most likely to learn foraging behaviors from their mothers, but they are more likely to watch and reproduce the play behaviors of other calves than the play behaviors of adult dolphins (including their mothers). …
Observational Learning In Wild And Captive Dolphins, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Observational Learning In Wild And Captive Dolphins, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Psychology Faculty Publications
Many non-human species imitate the behavior of others, and dolphins seem particularly adept at this form of observational learning. Evidence for observational learning in wild dolphins is rare, given the difficulty of observing individual wild animals in sufficient detail to eliminate other possible explanations of purported imitation. Consequently, much of the evidence supporting observational learning in dolphins has involved animals in captive settings. This research suggests that dolphins have an affinity for mimicry, and that they are more successful at observational learning if they choose to imitate another rather than being asked to do so. These results, combined with those …