Article
Overcoming Response Bias Using Symbolic Representations of Number by Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Animal learning and Behavior
(1999)
Abstract
We previously reported that chimpanzees were unable to optimally select the smaller of
two candy arrays in order to receive a larger reward. When Arabic numerals were
substituted for the candy arrays, animals who had had prior training with numerical
symbols showed an immediate and significant improvement in performance and were
able to select reliably the smaller numeric representation in order to obtain a larger
reward. Poor performance with candy arrays was interpreted as reflecting a response
bias toward the intrinsic incentive and/or perceptual features of the larger array. In
contrast, the Arabic numerals represent numerosity symbolically and appear to promote
response choice on the basis of abstract processing of numerosity, with minimal
interference from the inherent properties of the choice stimuli. The present study tested
the hypothesis that, for mixed symbol-candy choice pairs, the requisite processing of the
abstract numeral may foster a mode of numerical judgment that diminishes the interfering
incentive/perceptual effects of the candy stimuli. The results were consistent with this
hypothesis. Whereas performance on candy-candy arrays was significantly below chance
levels, performance on numeral-candy choice pairs was significantly above chance and
comparable with performance on numeral-numeral pairs.
Keywords
- Chimpanzees -- Psychology -- Testing,
- Chimpanzees -- Behavior,
- Chimpanzees -- Development,
- Cognition in animals,
- Comparative. psychology
Disciplines
Publication Date
1999
DOI
10.3758/BF03199679
Publisher Statement
In compliance with the publisher’s copyright and archiving policies, this is a post-print version of the document. Post-print materials contain the same content as their final edited versions, but are not formatted according to the layout of the published book or journal.
Originally appeared in Animal Learning and Behavior, published by Springer Verlag. May be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03199679.
Note: At the time of writing, Kimberley Mukobi was affiliated with Ohio State University.
Citation Information
Boysen, Sarah T., Kimberly L. Mukobi, and Gary G. Berntson. (1999). “Overcoming Response Bias Using Symbolic Representations of Number by Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).” Animal Learning and Behavior 27 (2): 229–35.