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 ParrotAlex the Grey Parrot

 Review from last class American vs European approaches  Species used: From Shettleworth (2009), Behav Process. 80,

 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

Time HumansRatsMicePigeons

Time 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