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Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) succeed on a computerized test designed to assess conservation of discrete quantity

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Abstract

Conservation of quantity occurs through recognition that changes in the physical arrangement of a set of items do not change the quantity of items in that set. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were presented with a computerized quantity judgment task. Monkeys were rewarded for selecting the greater quantity of items in one of two horizontal arrays of items on the screen. On some trials, after a correct selection, no reward was given but one of the arrays was manipulated. In some cases, this manipulation involved moving items closer together or farther apart to change the physical arrangement of the array without changing the quantity of items in the array. In other cases, additional items were added to the initially smaller array so that it became quantitatively larger. Monkeys then made another selection from the two rows of items. Monkeys were sensitive to these manipulations, changing their selections when the number of items in the rows changed but not when the arrangement only was changed. Therefore, monkeys responded on the basis of the quantity of items, and they were not distracted by non-quantitative manipulations of the sets.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant HD-38051 to the Language Research Center of Georgia State University. The author thanks Ted Evans and Tim Flemming for their comments on an earlier version of this paper and Betty Chan for assistance with the electronic supplementary material. All applicable institutional rules and regulations regarding animal care and use have been followed in the care and testing of the monkeys, and the experiment complied with all laws of the United States of America.

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  1. Language Research Center, Georgia State University, 3401 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA, 30034, USA

    Michael J. Beran

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Correspondence to Michael J. Beran.

Electronic supplementary material

10071_2006_28_MOESM1_ESM.mpeg.

S1 shows the initial presentation of a 7 versus 5 comparison. After selecting the set of 7, the set of 5 moves outward to increase its length but not its quantity. Here, conservation of quantity would dictate again selecting the bottom set.

10071_2006_28_MOESM2_ESM.mpeg.

S2 shows the initial presentation of a 3 versus 5 comparison. After selecting the set of 5, 4 new items are added to the set of 3, and the correct response is now to pick the top set which has increased in quantity.

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Beran, M.J. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) succeed on a computerized test designed to assess conservation of discrete quantity. Anim Cogn 10, 37–45 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-006-0028-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-006-0028-5

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