Animal cognition: The bridge between animal learning and human cognition

Journal/Book: Psychol Sci. 1999; 10: 350 Main Street, Ste 6, Malden, MA 02148, USA. Blackwell Publishers. 206-208.

Abstract: Carefully controlled research with animals has demonstrated cognitive capacities for which traditional theories of associative learning cannot account. One example is the symbolic representation of stimuli. If two arbitrary stimuli are associated with a third event, an emergent relation can be shown to develop. A second example is the ability of animals to plan ahead, and to choose whether to plan ahead ol not. Although animals have often been used to model drug effects in humans, these models have rarely been used to examine the effects of drugs on cognitive functioning. Furthermore, examination of the effects of drugs on the cognitive behavior of animals may help to identify the nature of the representations underlying the cognition.

Note: Article Zentall TR, Univ Kentucky, Dept Psychol, Lexington,KY 40506 USA

Keyword(s): CONDITIONAL DISCRIMINATIONS; TRANSITIVE INFERENCE; PIGEONS PERFORMANCE; MEMORY; RETENTION; SAMPLES; RATS; MAZE; INTERFERENCE; FACILITATION

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