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Can squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) learn self-control? A study using food array selection tests and

J R Anderson1, S Awazu, K Fujita

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Scotland. jra1@stir.ac.uk

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes
|January 29, 2000
PubMed
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Squirrel monkeys demonstrated self-control by learning to choose smaller food rewards in a reverse-reward task. This study highlights their numerosity abilities and the effectiveness of the reverse-reward procedure.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Primate Behavior
  • Comparative Psychology

Background:

  • Self-control is crucial for decision-making and survival.
  • Assessing self-control in non-human primates offers insights into cognitive evolution.
  • Numerosity perception plays a role in evaluating potential rewards.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate self-control in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) using a reverse-reward procedure.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the reverse-reward procedure in assessing self-control and numerosity abilities.
  • To determine if squirrel monkeys can learn to inhibit immediate gratification for a delayed or alternative reward.

Main Methods:

  • Eight squirrel monkeys were presented with two stimulus arrays of food (1 vs. 4 pieces).

Related Experiment Videos

  • A reverse-reward condition was implemented where reaching for the larger array yielded no reward, while reaching for the smaller array yielded the larger reward.
  • A large-or-none contingency, correction trials, and time-out periods were introduced to facilitate learning.

    • Main Results:

    • Initially, all monkeys preferred the larger array.
    • One monkey learned the task under the initial reverse-reward condition.
    • With added training procedures, all but one monkey successfully learned to choose the smaller array to obtain the larger reward.
    • Learned behavior was maintained when training conditions were modified and novel array sizes were introduced.

    Conclusions:

    • Squirrel monkeys exhibit a form of self-control, demonstrating the capacity to override immediate preferences.
    • The reverse-reward procedure is a viable method for studying self-control and numerical cognition in primates.
    • Individual differences in self-control and numerosity-related abilities were observed.