Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Animal cognition: 1900-2000.

R M. Church1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Brown University, Box 1853, 89 Waterman Street, 02912, Providence, RI, USA

Behavioural Processes
|May 23, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

20th-century animal cognition research advanced significantly due to improved methods, especially computer integration. While empirical results are higher quality, a general theory of animal cognition remains elusive, with future progress expected in quantitative theories.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Sex and brain maturation underlie the attribution of incentive salience to conditioned stimuli in Wistar rats.

Behavioural processes·2026
Same journal

Shining a light on jellyfish behaviour: Enhanced motor activity and positive phototaxis in Aurelia coerulea.

Behavioural processes·2026
Same journal

Detour-task performance in color polymorphic male mosquitofish.

Behavioural processes·2026
Same journal

Behavioral and physiological changes during the estrous cycle of socially housed female guinea pigs.

Behavioural processes·2026
Same journal

Flexible time-series analysis: A dynamically aware method for inferring directed dependencies in behavioral data.

Behavioural processes·2026
Same journal

Effects of group size and landmarks on escape behavior of three fish species.

Behavioural processes·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Ethology
  • Comparative Psychology

Background:

  • The 20th century witnessed substantial advancements in animal cognition studies.
  • Progress built upon foundational concepts like animal metaphors, research questions, and explanatory frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the progress in animal cognition research during the 20th century.
  • To identify key factors driving improvements in empirical results and research methodologies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical developments in animal cognition research.
  • Analysis of methodological advancements including animal husbandry, stimulus control, apparatus design, behavioral measurement, experimental procedures, and data analysis.
  • Assessment of the impact of computer technology on research stages.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Significant increase in the quality of empirical results in animal cognition.
  • Methodological improvements, particularly those enabled by computers, were primary drivers of progress.
  • Despite enhanced empirical quality, a unifying general theory of animal cognition has not yet emerged.

Conclusions:

  • Future research utilizing current methods is expected to advance the development of quantitative theories in animal cognition.
  • The field has evolved beyond simple linear progression, marked by qualitative leaps in empirical rigor.