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Arithmetic Mean

Arithmetic Mean

The arithmetic mean is the most commonly used measure of the central tendency of a data set. It is defined as the sum of all the elements constituting the data set, divided by the total number of elements. It is sometimes loosely referred to as the “average.”
When all the values in a data set are not unique, the sum in the numerator can be calculated by multiplying each distinct value by its frequency.
Sometimes, the arithmetic mean of a sample can be affected by a few data points that are...

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Arithmetic in newborn chicks.

Rosa Rugani¹, Laura Fontanari, Eleonora Simoni

¹Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy. rosa.rugani@unipd.it

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|April 15, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Newly hatched chicks demonstrate impressive proto-arithmetic skills. They can track and choose the screen hiding the larger quantity of objects, even after additions or subtractions.

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Area of Science:

Animal cognition
Comparative psychology
Developmental psychology

Background:

Young precocial species, like domestic chicks, possess innate abilities that are crucial for survival.
Understanding the cognitive foundations of numerical competence in early development is essential for comparative psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the numerical discrimination abilities of newly hatched domestic chicks.
To determine if chicks can track quantities when objects are added or subtracted behind screens.
To explore the potential for proto-arithmetic skills in a young, precocial species.

Main Methods:

Chicks were presented with sets of identical objects and observed during free-choice tests.
Objects were made to disappear behind opaque screens, with some being visibly transferred between screens.
Chicks' choices were recorded to assess their ability to discriminate between quantities.

Main Results:

Chicks spontaneously inspected the screen hiding the larger set of objects.
Results were confirmed when controlling for continuous variables like surface area.
Chicks successfully chose the screen with the larger quantity after objects were added or subtracted, irrespective of movement cues.

Conclusions:

Domestic chicks exhibit remarkable proto-arithmetic capacities from a very young age.
These findings suggest a foundational understanding of quantity in a precocial species.
The study highlights the potential for numerical cognition to be present early in development.