Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance
Abstract Mazes have been used in many forms to provide compelling results showcasing nonhuman animals’ capacities for spatial navigation, planning, and numerical competence. The current study presented computerized two-arm mazes to four rhesus macaques. Using these mazes, we assessed whether the mon...
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Springer
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Animal Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01853-x |
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| author | Elizabeth L. Haseltine Michael J. Beran |
| author_facet | Elizabeth L. Haseltine Michael J. Beran |
| author_sort | Elizabeth L. Haseltine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mazes have been used in many forms to provide compelling results showcasing nonhuman animals’ capacities for spatial navigation, planning, and numerical competence. The current study presented computerized two-arm mazes to four rhesus macaques. Using these mazes, we assessed whether the monkeys could maximize rewards by overcoming mild delays in gratification and sum the values of Arabic numerals. Across four test phases, monkeys used a joystick controller to choose one of two maze arms on the screen. Each maze arm contained zero, one or two Arabic numerals, and any numerals in the chosen maze arm provided the monkeys with rewards equivalent to the value of those numerals. When deciding which arm to enter, monkeys had to consider distance to numerals and numeral value. In some tests, gaining the maximum reward required summing the value of two numerals within a given arm. All four monkeys successfully maximized reward when comparing single numerals and when comparing arms that each contained two numerals. However, some biases occurred that were suboptimal: the largest single numeral and the delay of reward (by placing numerals farther into an arm from the start location) sometimes interfered with the monkeys’ abilities to optimize. These results indicate that monkeys experience difficulties with inhibition toward single, high valence stimuli in tasks where those stimuli must be considered in relation to overall value when represented by symbolic stimuli such as numerals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-899f90c4b79f4d43ac280adfc7dfe925 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1435-9456 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-899f90c4b79f4d43ac280adfc7dfe9252025-01-26T12:44:30ZengSpringerAnimal Cognition1435-94562024-03-0127111410.1007/s10071-024-01853-xMaze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performanceElizabeth L. Haseltine0Michael J. Beran1Psychology Department, Georgia State UniversityPsychology Department, Georgia State UniversityAbstract Mazes have been used in many forms to provide compelling results showcasing nonhuman animals’ capacities for spatial navigation, planning, and numerical competence. The current study presented computerized two-arm mazes to four rhesus macaques. Using these mazes, we assessed whether the monkeys could maximize rewards by overcoming mild delays in gratification and sum the values of Arabic numerals. Across four test phases, monkeys used a joystick controller to choose one of two maze arms on the screen. Each maze arm contained zero, one or two Arabic numerals, and any numerals in the chosen maze arm provided the monkeys with rewards equivalent to the value of those numerals. When deciding which arm to enter, monkeys had to consider distance to numerals and numeral value. In some tests, gaining the maximum reward required summing the value of two numerals within a given arm. All four monkeys successfully maximized reward when comparing single numerals and when comparing arms that each contained two numerals. However, some biases occurred that were suboptimal: the largest single numeral and the delay of reward (by placing numerals farther into an arm from the start location) sometimes interfered with the monkeys’ abilities to optimize. These results indicate that monkeys experience difficulties with inhibition toward single, high valence stimuli in tasks where those stimuli must be considered in relation to overall value when represented by symbolic stimuli such as numerals.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01853-xMazesMonkeysNumeralsSummationInhibitionIndividual differences |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth L. Haseltine Michael J. Beran Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance Animal Cognition Mazes Monkeys Numerals Summation Inhibition Individual differences |
| title | Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance |
| title_full | Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance |
| title_fullStr | Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance |
| title_short | Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance |
| title_sort | maze runners monkeys show restricted arabic numeral summation during computerized two arm maze performance |
| topic | Mazes Monkeys Numerals Summation Inhibition Individual differences |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01853-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabethlhaseltine mazerunnersmonkeysshowrestrictedarabicnumeralsummationduringcomputerizedtwoarmmazeperformance AT michaeljberan mazerunnersmonkeysshowrestrictedarabicnumeralsummationduringcomputerizedtwoarmmazeperformance |