Two macaw species can learn to solve an optimised two-trap problem, but without functional causal understanding

O'Neill, Laurie; Picaud, Anthony; Maehner, Jana; Gahr, Manfred und Bayern, Auguste M. P. von (2019): Two macaw species can learn to solve an optimised two-trap problem, but without functional causal understanding. In: Behaviour, Vol. 156, No. 5-8: pp. 691-720

Abstract

The trap-tube paradigm is a useful reference for judging whether a species is likely to use advanced physical causal cognition, however it does not have a standardised format. In this study, the design of an optimised two trap-table is described and is then tested on two species of macaw: Ara ambiguus and Ara glaucogularis. Multiple subjects of both species learned a successful method to solve an initial trap-problem and some transferred this success to other apparatus presented. However this transfer was likely achieved without a functional physical understanding of the task. The macaws probably have a preference to use learned rules based on arbitrary properties to solve the trap-problem. We conclude that this setup of the two-trap-problem is a viable benchmark that could be administered to a variety of species with very little modification, thus paving the way for more directly comparative studies.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Biology > Department Biology II
• Subjects: 500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
• ISSN: 0005-7959
• Language: English