Animal Cognition - Excerpts from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on animal cognition, ethology, and experimental methods.

Animal cognition

The study of cognitive mechanisms (learning, memory, perception, and decision-making) that generate adaptive or flexible behavior across animal species; often called comparative cognition when cross-species comparisons are emphasized.

Comparative cognition

The branch of animal cognition that compares cognitive processes across species to understand variation, similarities with humans, and evolutionary function.

Cognitive mechanisms

Mental processes underlying learning, memory, perception, and decision-making.

Anecdotal method

Early approach using reports of animal behavior from varied observers as evidence; criticized for unreliability and lack of frequency data.

Romanes' observer principles

Three guidelines for accepting anecdotes: (a) consider the observer’s authority/respectability, (b) assess potential observer bias, (c) seek corroboration from independent observers.

Selection bias in anecdotes

Tendency to report interesting or unusual behaviors while neglecting common or counterevidence, leading to unrepresentative data.

Clever Hans

The horse that appeared to count and read but was cued by the trainer’s movements; led to the development of controls to prevent cueing in experiments.

Morgan's Canon

Principle urging interpretation of animal behavior by the lowest plausible mental faculty, favoring simpler explanations (e.g., associative learning) over complex cognition.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human-like mental states or intentions to animals; a concern in early animal cognition research.

Naive trainers

Individuals unfamiliar with experimental expectations used to prevent cueing by researchers.

Thorndike's puzzle boxes

Experiment setups where cats learned to escape via trial-and-error, supporting learning by association.

Trial-and-error learning

Learning process in which animals refine actions that lead to reward through repeated attempts.

Ecological validity

The extent to which laboratory findings generalize to natural environments; a concern raised by ethologists.

Primate Research Institute (PRI)

Kyoto University program studying chimpanzee cognition using an integrated lab-field approach and attention to development, environment, and biology.

Participant observation

Research method where the investigator is embedded in the social environment (mother–infant–experimenter triad) to test cognition in context.

Triadic mother–infant–experimenter bond

A three-way relationship designed to study cognition while preserving natural social context.

Playback experiments

Field tests where researchers play back recorded calls to study context-dependent responses, often with video documentation.

Ethogram

A thorough catalog of a species’ characteristic behaviors with verbal descriptions or images.

Proximate causes

Explanations focusing on mechanism and immediate function of behavior.

Ultimate causes

Explanations focusing on evolutionary origins and maturational processes (ontogeny) of behavior.

Fixed action pattern

Innate, stereotyped sequences of behavior triggered by releasing mechanisms.

Releasing mechanism

External stimulus that triggers a fixed action pattern.

Behavioral ecology

Field concerned with how behavior evolves to maximize fitness within ecological contexts.

Cognitive ethology

Field focusing on animal consciousness and cognition, including beliefs, intentions, self-awareness, deception, and theory of mind.

Cognitive ecology

Study of cognitive processes in animals within their natural environments.

Incidents vs anecdotes

Incidents (qualitative reports of rare behaviors) and anecdotes (observer stories); both contribute to data but are treated differently in ethology.

Jane Goodall chimpanzee hunting observation

A notable observation that revised the scientific view of chimp cognition by documenting intergroup aggression and hunting.

Inoue & Matsuzawa 2007 infant numerals study

Finding that infant chimpanzees recalled strings of numerals better than adults or humans in a memory task.

Vervet monkey playback findings

Playback studies showing vervet monkeys respond differently to alarm calls for different predators.

Baboons and reconciliation

Observations that baboons grunt to reconcile after fights, with responses influenced by relative roles of group members.

Field vs laboratory balance

Modern practice combines lab experiments with field studies to maintain ecological validity while retaining experimental control.