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Articles 61 - 84 of 84
Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Integrating Cognitive Ethology With Cognitive Psychology, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan Kamil
Integrating Cognitive Ethology With Cognitive Psychology, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Cognitive ethology has been defined by Griffin (1978,1981, 1984) as the study of mental experiences in animals, restricting the domain of the field to phenomena thought to reveal intentionality, awareness, and conscious thinking. We argue that attempts to study these processes, while revealing impressive behavioral complexity, have proven unsuccessful in establishing the importance of mental experiences in determining animal behavior primarily because of the intractability of the problem. We suggest a different approach that draws upon the rich theory and sophisticated methodology of human and animal cognitive psychology while retaining an ecological and evolutionary perspective. Brief accounts of the conceptual …
Social Behavior And The Ontogeny Of Foraging In The Kea (Nestor Notabilis), Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
Social Behavior And The Ontogeny Of Foraging In The Kea (Nestor Notabilis), Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Kea are omnivorous parrots endemic to the high mountains of the South Island of New Zealand. Over a two-year period, we recorded quantitative behavioral data from 38 banded male kea foraging at a refuse dump outside Arthur's Pass National Park and analyzed the effects of social factors on the ontogeny of foraging. Members of the four distinguishable age classes — fledglings, juveniles, subadults, and adults — displayed characteristic differences in foraging ability and in the social behavior used to obtain access to resources. Adults performed most of the excavation that uncovered new food resources. Fledglings explored and manipulated objects almost …
Spatial Memory In Seed-Caching Corvids, Alan Kamil, Russell P. Balda
Spatial Memory In Seed-Caching Corvids, Alan Kamil, Russell P. Balda
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Our purpose in this article is to review the results of our studies of the mechanisms underlying cache recovery by members of the crow, jay, and nutcracker family. In this research program, we have combined psychological and ecological approaches to the study of memory, and the results demonstrate the utility of this interdisciplinary strategy. Unlike most psychological research on learning and memory, this research program originated in the study of how a particular species solves a particular ecological problem. It serves as an example of how natural history and ecology can provide the starting point for a research program that …
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: I. Optimal Deceit In The Communication Of Fighting Ability, Alan B. Bond
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: I. Optimal Deceit In The Communication Of Fighting Ability, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
One inference from game theory models of animal conflict is that adversaries should not inform one another about concealed components of their fighting ability. This poses a paradox for the customary ethological account of aggressive displays in that it is usually assumed that the primary function of such behavior is to make such information available. To resolve the paradox, I propose that the information in aggressive displays may not be strictly truthful, but may instead represent "optimal deceit," a balance between the advantages of deceit or bluffing and the disadvantages of selecting for skepticism in the receiver. Numerical simulation of …
Lasting Responsiveness Of A Kea (Nestor Notabilis) Toward Its Mirror Image, Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
Lasting Responsiveness Of A Kea (Nestor Notabilis) Toward Its Mirror Image, Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
At the San Diego Zoo we had the opportunity of observing the behaviour of a Kea Nestor notabilis toward its mirror image under conditions of constant exposure over a period of 12 months. ... The introduction of the mirrors appears to have had a striking impact on the bird's listless state. Reports from keepers indicated that the Kea's appetite was restored after the introduction of the mirrors, and the animal was generally more active. Incidents of feather pulling were generally reduced in frequency.
Studies Of Learning And Memory In Natural Contexts : Integrating Functional And Mechanistic Approaches To Behavior, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
My purpose in this paper is to describe two research projects that combine experimental psychology and behavioral ecology . The first employs the operant conditioning technology developed by psychologists to test hypotheses arising from ecological studies of foraging animals. The second uses concepts from natural history and ecology to explore the nature and evolution of spatial memory. These two projects demonstrate both the advantages and the challenges of interdisciplinary work.
There are many advantages to combining psychological and biological perspectives on the behavior of animals. But truly interdisciplinary work is rare, mostly because it is so difficult to achieve meaningful …
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: Ii. Behavioral Efference And The Communication Of Intentions, Alan B. Bond
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: Ii. Behavioral Efference And The Communication Of Intentions, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
An inference from game-theory models of animal conflict is that adversaries should not inform one another about their level of aggressive motivation. This poses a paradox for the traditional ethological account of graded aggressive displays because it is usually assumed that the adaptive significance of these behavior patterns lies in their making such information available. To resolve the paradox, I propose that communication is only an incidental effect of displays, and that their primary adaptive function is regulation of the intensity of aggressive encounters through positive feedback on aggressive motivation, a process termed "behavioral efference." Evidence in support of this …
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: Ii. Behavioral Efference And The Communication Of Intentions, Alan B. Bond
Toward A Resolution Of The Paradox Of Aggressive Displays: Ii. Behavioral Efference And The Communication Of Intentions, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
An inference from game-theory models of animal conflict is that adversaries should not inform one another about their level of aggressive motivation. This poses a paradox for the traditional ethological account of graded aggressive displays because it is usually assumed that the adaptive significance of these behavior patterns lies in their making such information available. To resolve the paradox, I propose that communication is only an incidental effect of displays, and that their primary adaptive function is regulation of the intensity of aggressive encounters through positive feedback on aggressive motivation, a process termed "behavioral efference." Evidence in support of this …
A Comparative-Ecological Approach To The Study Of Learning, Alan Kamil, John E. Mauldin
A Comparative-Ecological Approach To The Study Of Learning, Alan Kamil, John E. Mauldin
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the effects of a parameter which is present in every learning experiment, but about which we know relatively little--the species being tested. The effects of the species variable have been studied relatively infrequently by animal learning psychologists for at least three reasons. (1) Psychologists have tended to assume that a few general processes will account entirely for most, if not all, of the important phenomena of animal learning in a broad range of species. This assumption has been criticized frequently in recent years (e.g., Seligman, 1970; Seligman & Hager, 1972), but still …
The Spatial Memory Of Clark’S Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana) In An Analogue Of The Radial Arm Maze, Russel P. Balda, Alan Kamil
The Spatial Memory Of Clark’S Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana) In An Analogue Of The Radial Arm Maze, Russel P. Balda, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) use spatial memory to recover stored food in the field. In the present experiments, an open-field analogue of the radial arm maze was developed and used to test the ability of nutcrackers to remember spatial locations. The nutcrackers showed high levels of retention after 6 h, but were close to chance levels after a 24-h retention interval. These results suggest that nutcrackers may use different spatial memory systems under different conditions. After long retention intervals, nutcrackers performed more accurately than pigeons tested by other experimenters using similar procedures. This raises the possibility of species …
Diet Choices Of Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata) As A Function Of Time Spent Foraging, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan C. Kamil
Diet Choices Of Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata) As A Function Of Time Spent Foraging, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan C. Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Optimal diet theory predicts choices among prey types. With sequential prey encounters, less profitable prey types may be rejected immediately because rejecting the prey item at hand increases the probability of encountering more profitable types. However, Lucas (1985) argued that at the end of a foraging bout, all encountered prey types should be accepted because the opportunity to encounter more profitable types is limited. We tested Lucas’s prediction in a simulation, allowing blue jays to hunt for two moth types differing in profitability. During the last min of both 10- and 20-min foraging bouts, the less profitable type was attacked …
A Synthetic Approach To The Study Of Animal Intelligence, Alan Kamil
A Synthetic Approach To The Study Of Animal Intelligence, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Psychologists have been studying animal learning for about a century. This century of experimental and theoretical work has produced some remarkable successes, particularly in understanding basic conditioning processes. However, these successes are limited in two major ways. First, they have been confined to a narrow domain. Recent research from a variety of settings has demonstrated that animals have mental abilities far beyond what they were given credit for just a few years ago. We must dramatically expand the range of phenomena addressed by the study of animal learning. Second, there has been an almost complete failure to place animal learning …
Two Modal Action Patterns With A Continuous Temporal Distribution, Alan B. Bond, George W. Barlow, William Rogers
Two Modal Action Patterns With A Continuous Temporal Distribution, Alan B. Bond, George W. Barlow, William Rogers
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Most methods of quantitative analysis of animal behavior assume that action patterns can be unambiguously classified into discrete, exclusive categories. This is not invariably the case. The digging behavior of the Midas cichlid (Cichlasoma citrinellum), for example, exhibits two functionally distinct modalities, scoop and pi&, that intergrade continuously in form but are separable probabilistically. We present a technique for analyzing such behaviors that provides a reliable basis for formulating and verifying categories and allows a quantitative assessment of functional dissimilarity.
Die meisten Methoden quantitativer Verhaltensanalysen setzen eindeutige Klassifizierung der Verhaltensweisen in sich wechselseitig ausschlieißende Kategorien voraus. Die sind …
The Effects Of Prey Depletion On The Patch Choice Of Foraging Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alan Kamil, Sonja I. Yoerg
The Effects Of Prey Depletion On The Patch Choice Of Foraging Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alan Kamil, Sonja I. Yoerg
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were trained to hunt for non-cryptic moths presented in projected images. On each trial, the jays chose one of two patches to hunt in: (1) a uniform, “non-depleting” patch with constant prey density of 0.25; or (2) a “depleting” patch in which prey density changed during the foraging bout. In the depleting patch, the initial prey density was 0.50, declining to zero in a single step part-way through each foraging bout (session). The patch choices of the jays were greatly affected by these conditions. The jays chose the depleting patch early in the session, …
Discrimination And Generalization Of Leaf Damage By Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Pamela G. Real, Ruth Iannazzi, Alan C. Kamil, Bernd Heinrich
Discrimination And Generalization Of Leaf Damage By Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Pamela G. Real, Ruth Iannazzi, Alan C. Kamil, Bernd Heinrich
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) responded to projected black-and-white silhouettes of cherry leaves that were either undamaged or were damaged by either cryptic caterpillars that disguise leaf damage due to their feeding or by noncryptic caterpillars that do not disguise leaf damage due to their feeding. Pecks to the key on which the images were projected were reinforced only if interresponse times fell within specified temporal boundaries. These boundaries were different in the presence of the two types of leaf damage. Following training with one exemplar of each damage type, the jays correctly categorized novel instances of both types. …
The Transmission Of Learned Behavior: An Observational Study Of Father-Child Interactions During Fishing, Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
The Transmission Of Learned Behavior: An Observational Study Of Father-Child Interactions During Fishing, Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Mechanisms of transmission of learned behavior were described in terms of the behavioral interactions between fathers and their children as they fished from a pier on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Verbal and nonverbal behaviors were analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and the patterns of association in the behavioral repertoire were described in detail. Groupings of associated behaviors ranged from clusters suggestive of modeling or simple showing to complex combinations of behaviors involved in teaching. There were indications that the transmission behaviors varied with the content of the transmitted information and the role of the performer. Role differentiation in the transmission behaviors …
Visual Search And Selection Of Natural Stimuli In The Pigeon: The Attention Threshold Hypothesis, Alan B. Bond
Visual Search And Selection Of Natural Stimuli In The Pigeon: The Attention Threshold Hypothesis, Alan B. Bond
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
During visual search for samples of varying proportions of familiar, natural food grains displayed against a complex gravel background, pigeons exhibited “matching selection,” a tendency to overselect the more common grain. The matching selection effect was decreased at low levels of stimulus/background contrast and reversed when the grains were highly conspicuous. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that stimulus detectability should be enhanced by recent experience with a particular grain type, but they showed no convincing indications of a corresponding effect on the response criterion. An explanatory model, termed the attention threshold hypothesis, argues that the mean latency of …
Response Strategies In The Radial Arm Maze: Running Around In Circles, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan C. Kamil
Response Strategies In The Radial Arm Maze: Running Around In Circles, Sonja I. Yoerg, Alan C. Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
The effects of the size of the central arena on the use of response strategies by rats on an eight~arm elevated maze were examined. The size of the central arena had no effect on accuracy, but the use of adjacent arms increased significantly with a larger central arena, regardless of the size of arena to which rats were first exposed. These results are interpreted in terms of foraging efficiency.
Spatial Memory And The Performance Of Rats And Pigeons In The Radial-Arm Maze, Alan B. Bond, Robert G. Cook, Marvin R. Lamb
Spatial Memory And The Performance Of Rats And Pigeons In The Radial-Arm Maze, Alan B. Bond, Robert G. Cook, Marvin R. Lamb
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
The resource-distribution hypothesis states that the ability of an animal to remember the spatial location of past events is related to the typical distribution of food resources for the species. It appears to predict that Norway rats would perform better than domestic pigeons in tasks requiring spatial event memory. Pigeons, tested in an eight-arm radial maze, exhibited no more than half of the memory capacity observed in rats in the same apparatus and may not have used spatial memory at all. The results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis.
Search Image Formation In The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alexandra T. Pietrewicz, Alan Kamil
Search Image Formation In The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alexandra T. Pietrewicz, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Blue jays trained to detect Catocala moths in slides were exposed to two types of slide series containing these moths: series of one species and series of two species intermixed. In one species series, detection ability increased with successive encounters with one prey type. No similar effect occurred in two species series. These results are a direct demonstration of a specific search image.
Marginal Learning-Set Formation By The Crow (Corvus Brachyrhynchos), Maxwell W. Hunter Iii, Alan C. Kamil
Marginal Learning-Set Formation By The Crow (Corvus Brachyrhynchos), Maxwell W. Hunter Iii, Alan C. Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Each of three hand raised crows received 300 learning set problems in a modified WGTA using three-dimensional stimuli. Consistent within-problem learning was obtained but learning set formation was minimal. An analysis of hypothesis behavior (Levine, 1959) revealed a strong tendency towards position and stimulus preferences. These results raise the possibility of large species differences in learning set formation within the family Corvid
Intraproblem Retention During Learning-Set Acquisition In Bluejays (Cyanocitta Eristata), Alan C. Kamil, John E. Maulden
Intraproblem Retention During Learning-Set Acquisition In Bluejays (Cyanocitta Eristata), Alan C. Kamil, John E. Maulden
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Recent experiments have shown that bluejays and rhesus monkeys experienced in object-discrimination learning set (ODLS) exhibit a rapid decline in performance when a retention interval is inserted between successive trials of individual ODLS problems (Bessemer & Stollnitz, 1971; Kamil, Lougee, & Shulman, 1973). This intraproblem retention loss (IRL), or forgetting, has been interpreted as reflecting the importance of relatively transient memory traces for events of previous trials of the ODLS problem as determinants of choice behavior on the current trial of the same problem. According to this model, these memory traces function as discriminative stimuli in a conditional discrimination which …
Tool-Making And Tool-Using In The Northern Blue Jay, Thony B. Jones, Alan Kamil
Tool-Making And Tool-Using In The Northern Blue Jay, Thony B. Jones, Alan Kamil
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Laboratory-raised Northern blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) have been observed tearing pieces from pages of newspaper and utilizing them as tools to rake in food pellets which were otherwise out of reach. The frequency of this behavior was dependent upon the motivational state of the jay and the presence of food pellets.
Three-Configuration Matching-To-Sample In The Pigeon, Alan Kamil, Robert A. Sacks
Three-Configuration Matching-To-Sample In The Pigeon, Alan Kamil, Robert A. Sacks
Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences
Pigeons were trained on a zero-delay matching-to-sample procedure during which only three of the four possible stimulus configurations were presented. Subsequently, all birds were exposed to all four configurations as a transfer test. A high degree of negative transfer from the three training configurations was obtained in Experiment 1. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that three-configuration training produced differential position-preference effects. During the transfer test, responding after one sample stimulus was apparently based on position, while responding after the other sample was based on color.