Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) succeed in a test of quantity conservation. 2008

Michael J Beran
Language Research Center, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. mjberan@yahoo.com

Nonhuman animals demonstrate a number of impressive quantitative skills such as counting sets of items, comparing sets on the basis of the number of items or amount of material, and even responding to simple arithmetic manipulations. In this experiment, capuchin monkeys were presented with a computerized task designed to assess conservation of discrete quantity. Monkeys first were trained to select from two horizontal arrays of stimuli the one with the larger number of items. On some trials, after a correct selection there was no feedback but instead an additional manipulation of one of those arrays. In some cases, this manipulation involved moving items closer together or farther apart to change the physical arrangement of the array but not the quantity of items in the array. In other cases, additional items were added to the initially smaller array so that it became quantitatively larger. Monkeys then made a second selection from the two arrays of items. Previous research had shown that rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) succeeded with this task. However, there was no condition in that study in which items were added to the smaller array without increasing its quantity to a point where it became the new larger array. This new condition was added in the present experiment. Capuchin monkeys were sensitive to all of these manipulations, changing their selections when the manipulations changed which array contained the larger number of items but not when the manipulations changed the physical arrangement of items or increased the quantity in one array without also reversing which of the two arrays had more items. Therefore, capuchin monkeys responded on the basis of the quantity of items, and they were not distracted by non-quantitative manipulations of the arrays. The data indicate that capuchins are sensitive to simply arithmetic manipulations that involve addition of items to arrays and also that they can conserve quantity.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007600 Judgment The process of discovering or asserting an objective or intrinsic relation between two objects or concepts; a faculty or power that enables a person to make judgments; the process of bringing to light and asserting the implicit meaning of a concept; a critical evaluation of a person or situation. Judgement,Judgements,Judgments
D008253 Macaca mulatta A species of the genus MACACA inhabiting India, China, and other parts of Asia. The species is used extensively in biomedical research and adapts very well to living with humans. Chinese Rhesus Macaques,Macaca mulatta lasiota,Monkey, Rhesus,Rhesus Monkey,Rhesus Macaque,Chinese Rhesus Macaque,Macaca mulatta lasiotas,Macaque, Rhesus,Rhesus Macaque, Chinese,Rhesus Macaques,Rhesus Macaques, Chinese,Rhesus Monkeys
D008297 Male Males
D008433 Mathematics The deductive study of shape, quantity, and dependence. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Mathematic
D010364 Pattern Recognition, Visual Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs. Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D002428 Cebus A genus of the family CEBIDAE, subfamily CEBINAE, consisting of gracile or untufted capuchin species. Tufted capuchins belong to genus SAPAJUS. Members include C. capucinus, C. nigrivultatus, and C. albifrons. Cebus inhabits the forests of Central and South Americas. Cebu,Gracile Capuchins,Monkey, Capuchin,Monkey, Ring-Tail,Monkey, Ringtail,Monkey, Ringtailed,Untufted Capuchins,White-Fronted Capuchin,Monkey, Ring-Tailed,Capuchin Monkey,Capuchin Monkeys,Capuchin, Gracile,Capuchin, Untufted,Capuchin, White-Fronted,Gracile Capuchin,Monkey, Ring Tail,Monkey, Ring Tailed,Ring-Tail Monkey,Ring-Tail Monkeys,Ring-Tailed Monkey,Ring-Tailed Monkeys,Ringtail Monkey,Ringtail Monkeys,Ringtailed Monkey,Ringtailed Monkeys,Untufted Capuchin,White Fronted Capuchin,White-Fronted Capuchins
D003071 Cognition Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge. Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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