This is a past event
Abstract:
The ability to solve physical problems –from simple ones such as opening a box containing a reward to more complex ones such as manufacturing ad-hoc tools– is under intense scrutiny in humans, other animals, and artificial systems. However, the cognitive and evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of such capacities remain poorly understood. It is clearly crucial to understand which aspects of experience support the emergence of cognitive competence for creative performance. To investigate this question, we are comparing the problem-solving abilities of two proficient tool-using species (human infants and New Caledonian crows Corvus moneduloides) and one non-tool-using corvid species (jackdaws Corvus monedula) at different age periods. We designed a battery of eight different tasks, some of them involving the use of tools. Most of these tasks were novel as they were never tested before in primates nor in birds. Here, we present preliminary results of the performance on the eight tasks in New Caledonian crows (2 juveniles and 7 adults), jackdaws (4 babies and 9 adults) and human infants aged 15 to 30 months. We will discuss inter-species as well as inter-individual and developmental differences, not only in terms of success/failure but also in terms of behavioural strategies such as trial-and-errors, persistence, inhibition or motivation, among others.
Bio:
Lauriane Rat-Fischer is a post-doctoral researcher at University of Oxford (UK) working in collaboration with Prof. Alex Kacelnik (Department of Zoology) and Prof. Kim Plunkett (Department of Experimental Psychology). Her research interests are related to the developmental and evolutionary mechanisms involved in the emergence of problem-solving behaviours in humans and non human animals.
- Speaker
- Lauriane Rat-Fischer
- Hosted by
- Frank Guerin
- Venue
- Meston 311