Primate Number Abilities
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Presentation Transcript
Primate Number Abilities Can Rhesus Monkeys Spontaneously Subtract? Gregory M. Sulkowski & Mark D. Hauser
Number Systems • Object File Model • Instant recognition of small numbers
Number Systems • Accumulator Model • Larger Number = harder to keep track • Scalar Variability
Why Test Primate Number Abilities? • Can counting exist without language? • Animal vs Human number learning fundamentally different • Brute Memorization • 1 = 1, 2 = > 1; 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = > 2 … • The chimpanzee Ai VS • Successor Function • S(n) = n + 1 S(1)=1+1=2, S(S(1))=2+1=3, ...
Why Rhesus Monkeys? • Other animals have been tested…with training • Pigeons, Parrots Raccoons, Ferrets, Rats • Why not other animals? • Rhesus can accomplish without training • Population ready to work with
Experiment 1 • 1 versus 1-1, Single Subtraction • Monkeys could be avoiding the side that was affected
Experiment 2 • 1 versus 3-1, Single Subtraction • Only action on one of the two sides
Experiment 3 • 2-0 versus 2-1, Double Action • Monkeys could be avoiding the side associated with object removal
Experiment 4 • 2-1 versus 1-1, Double Subtraction • Nothing but food on platforms, no identity to track
Experiment 5 • 2-1 food versus 2-1 non-food, Double Subtraction and Object Identity • Removed different objects from each side, could make monkey think only metal on one side while food on the other
Experiment 6 • 2-1 food versus 2-1 non food, double subtraction and object identity • Thus far, number of objects has been minimal
Experiment 7 • 3-1 food versus 2-1 non-food, Double Subtraction and Object Identity • Might have avoided one side by ignoring non-food item
Experiment 8 • 3-1 food versus 2-1 food, Double subtraction and Object Identity • Only tested one aspect of subtraction
Experiment 9 • 2-1 versus 1+1, Subtraction and Addition Without Changing Initial Object Number • Equality has yet to be tested
Experiment 10 • 3-1 versus 1+1, Subtraction and Addition Leading to Equality • Never represented zero in the presence of addition and subtraction
Experiment 11 • 0+1 versus 1-1, Subtraction and Addition and the Representation of Zero
Conclusive Results • Conclusive • Represent zero • Something even human infants can not do • Identify object properties separately of computations • Modifies what is known of object file model
Inconclusive Results • Inconclusive • Numbering model utilized • Data explainable by both models • How zero was represented • Still uncertain how zero is represented in either model • Likely combination of both models