Can lemurs (Eulemur fulvus and E. macaco) use abstract representations of quantities to master the reverse-reward contingency task? 2011

Emilie Genty, and Jean-Jacques Roeder
Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.

In previous studies we demonstrated that brown and black lemurs (Eulemur fulvus and E. macaco) showed self-control abilities under a reverse-reward contingency. They were able to significantly select the smaller quantity of food to be rewarded with the larger one and to generalize this ability when presented with two rewards that differed in quality. In the present study, previously trained subjects had to choose between graphic representations of two different quantities of food under the reverse-reward contingency. Three out of four subjects learned to associate a graphic representation of the reward with the corresponding quantity. Only one subject consistently selected the representation of the smaller quantity to be rewarded with the larger quantity of food and therefore showed abstraction as well as relative numerousness skills. Indeed, she was able to discriminate between representations of different quantities and to ordinate them. We discuss how primates mentally represent food quantities and how self-control is involved in foraging strategies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007175 Impulsive Behavior An act performed without delay, reflection, voluntary direction or obvious control in response to a stimulus. Impulsivity,Behavior, Impulsive,Behaviors, Impulsive,Impulsive Behaviors,Impulsivities
D007901 Lemuridae A family of the order PRIMATES, suborder STREPSIRHINI, containing four genera which inhabit Madagascar and the Comoro Island. Most of the lemurs prefer wooded areas. The four genera are Hapalemur, LEMUR, Lepilemur, and Varecia. Bamboo Lemurs,Eulemur,Hapalemur,Prohapalemur,Prolemur,Ruffed Lemurs,True Lemurs,Varecia,Bamboo Lemur,Lemur, Bamboo,Lemur, Ruffed,Lemur, True,Ruffed Lemur,True Lemur
D008297 Male Males
D002755 Choice Behavior The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation. Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D003210 Concept Formation A cognitive process involving the formation of ideas generalized from the knowledge of qualities, aspects, and relations of objects. Concept Acquisition,Concept Learning,Conceptualization,Acquisition, Concept,Acquisitions, Concept,Concept Acquisitions,Formation, Concept,Learning, Concept
D005260 Female Females
D005518 Food Preferences The selection of one food over another. Food Selection,Food Preference,Food Selections,Preference, Food,Preferences, Food,Selection, Food,Selections, Food
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
D001245 Association Learning The principle that items experienced together enter into a connection, so that one tends to reinstate the other. Association Learnings,Learning, Association,Learnings, Association
D012193 Reversal Learning Any situation where an animal or human is trained to respond differentially to two stimuli (e.g., approach and avoidance) under reward and punishment conditions and subsequently trained under reversed reward values (i.e., the approach which was previously rewarded is punished and vice versa). Learning, Reversal,Learnings, Reversal,Reversal Learnings

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