Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)

Delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) tasks are commonly used in the field of comparative cognition to study memory, including working memory. However, specific task demands vary across studies and species, and as such, DMTS tasks may engage different memory systems when features such as the available s...

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Main Authors: Meghan J. Sosnowski, Sarah F. Brosnan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Animal Behavior and Cognition 2025-02-01
Series:Animal Behavior and Cognition
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Online Access:https://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/61/2%20Sosnowski_Brosnan_ABC_12(1).pdf
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author Meghan J. Sosnowski
Sarah F. Brosnan
author_facet Meghan J. Sosnowski
Sarah F. Brosnan
author_sort Meghan J. Sosnowski
collection DOAJ
description Delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) tasks are commonly used in the field of comparative cognition to study memory, including working memory. However, specific task demands vary across studies and species, and as such, DMTS tasks may engage different memory systems when features such as the available stimulus pool differ. Further, individual or species-wide differences in response to pressure to perform may increase variation within a species. We explored how task features, memory systems, and pressure interact in tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) to influence performance on a DTMS task by varying the size of the possible stimulus pool across testing blocks. We also varied the amount of pressure within a testing block by training monkeys to associate a background color change with a more difficult, but more highly rewarded, trial, as we had done in previous work. In accordance with previous literature (Basile & Hampton, 2013), we found that performance greatly decreased when the possible stimulus pool was limited as compared to a large possible stimulus pool, likely because monkeys could not rely on passive familiarity memory to complete the task. However, we found no overall species tendency to fail under pressure in either the limited- or large-set conditions; instead, we found a surprising tendency to thrive under higher pressure. Taken together, our results further highlight the importance of considering DMTS task features when studying specific memory systems in non-human species and suggest that the DTMS task might not be the best paradigm for testing pressure effects without consideration of individual differences.
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spelling doaj-art-472cb269db6545ebaa4896057e861df92025-08-20T02:54:53ZengAnimal Behavior and CognitionAnimal Behavior and Cognition2372-43232025-02-01121324410.26451/abc.12.01.02.2025Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)Meghan J. SosnowskiSarah F. BrosnanDelayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) tasks are commonly used in the field of comparative cognition to study memory, including working memory. However, specific task demands vary across studies and species, and as such, DMTS tasks may engage different memory systems when features such as the available stimulus pool differ. Further, individual or species-wide differences in response to pressure to perform may increase variation within a species. We explored how task features, memory systems, and pressure interact in tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) to influence performance on a DTMS task by varying the size of the possible stimulus pool across testing blocks. We also varied the amount of pressure within a testing block by training monkeys to associate a background color change with a more difficult, but more highly rewarded, trial, as we had done in previous work. In accordance with previous literature (Basile & Hampton, 2013), we found that performance greatly decreased when the possible stimulus pool was limited as compared to a large possible stimulus pool, likely because monkeys could not rely on passive familiarity memory to complete the task. However, we found no overall species tendency to fail under pressure in either the limited- or large-set conditions; instead, we found a surprising tendency to thrive under higher pressure. Taken together, our results further highlight the importance of considering DMTS task features when studying specific memory systems in non-human species and suggest that the DTMS task might not be the best paradigm for testing pressure effects without consideration of individual differences. https://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/61/2%20Sosnowski_Brosnan_ABC_12(1).pdfprimatecognitiondelayed matching-to-sampledmtspressure
spellingShingle Meghan J. Sosnowski
Sarah F. Brosnan
Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
Animal Behavior and Cognition
primate
cognition
delayed matching-to-sample
dmts
pressure
title Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
title_full Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
title_fullStr Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
title_full_unstemmed Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
title_short Familiarity, Active Memory And Pressure During A Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task In Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] Apella)
title_sort familiarity active memory and pressure during a delayed matching to sample task in tufted capuchin monkeys sapajus cebus apella
topic primate
cognition
delayed matching-to-sample
dmts
pressure
url https://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/61/2%20Sosnowski_Brosnan_ABC_12(1).pdf
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