Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...

Cognitivism

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...

Cognition and Behavior

Cognition and Behavior

Social psychology examines the complex interplay between individual mental processes and social interactions. Historically, the field was divided into two domains: social behavior and social cognition. Researchers focusing on social behavior analyzed actions within social contexts, such as conformity, aggression, or cooperation. Meanwhile, social cognition researchers investigated how people perceive, interpret, and mentally represent their social environments. However, modern perspectives no...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Understanding mammal avoidance of human settlements.

The Journal of animal ecology·2026

Same author

Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Record phenological responses to climate change in three sympatric penguin species.

The Journal of animal ecology·2026

Same author

Habitat selection of three gull species in response to sudden changes in human mobility.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same author

Aligning tools and terminology to integrate movement ecology with conservation science.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2026

Same author

Diagnosing confounded Bateman gradients.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025

Same journal

Invaders taking over-Mollusc faunal change in volcanic barrier lakes of the Albertine Rift biodiversity hotspot.

PloS one·2026

Same journal

AI-driven molecular diversification and ligand-based optimization of macitentan derivatives targeting VEGFR1 and endothelin signaling pathways.

PloS one·2026

Same journal

Performance patterns and records in the world aquatics masters championships: Where do the most frequently represented nations among the top-ten masters swimmers come from?

PloS one·2026

Same journal

Modeling diurnal Temperature-Rainfall relationships under multicollinearity using PLS-SEM: A case study of Ghana.

PloS one·2026

Same journal

Organizational culture, social capital, and emergency capacity in primary healthcare institutions: A cross-sectional structural equation modeling study comparing ordinary and older communities.

PloS one·2026

Same journal

Impact of kidney function on the metabolome in the general population.

PloS one·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

Cognitive processes associated with sequential tool use in New Caledonian crows.

Joanna H Wimpenny¹, Alex A S Weir, Lisa Clayton

¹Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

|August 6, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New Caledonian crows demonstrate advanced sequential tool use, successfully employing up to three tools to retrieve food. This complex behavior, however, may not require human-like planning or analogical reasoning, highlighting simpler cognitive mechanisms.

More Related Videos

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Published on: February 20, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Published on: February 20, 2014

Area of Science:

Comparative cognition
Animal behavior
Evolutionary psychology

Background:

Tool use, particularly sequential tool use, is a hallmark of human intelligence and evolution.
Sequential tool use has been observed in primates and New Caledonian crows, often interpreted as evidence of advanced cognition.
The cognitive mechanisms underlying sequential tool use have not been fully examined.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate new tool-using capabilities in New Caledonian crows.
To examine the extent to which crows understand the physical interactions involved in sequential tool use.
To explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying sequential tool use in this species.

Main Methods:

Seven captive New Caledonian crows were tested in six tasks requiring up to three sequential tools.
Tasks included a novel three-tool problem and varied complexity presented in a random order.
Control conditions were used to assess goal-directed tool retrieval, and pre-testing experience was manipulated.

Main Results:

Five crows successfully used tools in sequence, with four solving the three-tool condition.
Sequential tool use was enhanced by, but did not require, pre-training (chaining).
Analysis of tool choice and improvement indicated non-random strategies, but no firm evidence for analogical reasoning or human-like planning was found.

Conclusions:

New Caledonian crows exhibit tool-use competence beyond any other observed species.
The study emphasizes parsimony in comparative cognition, suggesting complex behaviors can arise from simpler cognitive mechanisms.
Detailed analysis is crucial before attributing high-level cognitive abilities to animal behavior.