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

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

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...

Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Continuous foraging behavior shapes patch-leaving decisions in pigeons: a 3D tracking study.

Animal cognition·2026

Same author

Neural correlates of appetitive extinction learning: an fMRI study with actively participating pigeons.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

An individual participant data meta-analysis of how physical activity relates to affective well-being in daily life.

Nature human behaviour·2026

Same author

Achieving cell-type specific transduction with adeno-associated viral vectors in pigeons.

Current research in neurobiology·2026

Same author

Dopaminergic Innervation of the Nidopallium Caudolaterale in the Japanese Quail.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2026

Same author

An exploratory study of behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and microbiota profiles in senior dogs.

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

The relationship between problem-solving ability and laterality in cats.

Sevim Isparta¹, Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas², Zeynep Bars¹

¹Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.

Behavioural Brain Research

|May 20, 2020

Summary

In cats, a strong paw preference, or lateralization, is linked to better problem-solving skills. Ambilateral cats, those without a clear preference, performed worse on cognitive tasks.

Keywords:

Cat Functional cerebral asymmetry Laterality Paw preference Problem-solving ability

More Related Videos

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Published on: December 11, 2017

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

Published on: February 26, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Published on: December 11, 2017

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

Published on: February 26, 2012

Area of Science:

Comparative psychology
Animal cognition
Neuroscience

Background:

Laterality research in animals shows limb preference correlates with cognitive and motor abilities.
The relationship between laterality and cognitive skills in cats (Felis catus) remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between paw preference (laterality) and problem-solving ability in domestic cats.
To determine if paw preference influences cognitive performance in a novel task.

Main Methods:

Paw preferences of 41 cats were assessed using two food-reaching tasks requiring lid opening.
Strength and direction of paw preference were measured.
Task performance (lids opened) was recorded.

Main Results:

Cats with a distinct paw preference successfully opened more lids than ambilateral cats.
Cats initially using their paw to interact with the apparatus opened more lids than those using their head.
Paw preferences were found to be stable and task-independent, with initial paw usage predicting general paw usage.

Conclusions:

Laterality, specifically a clear paw preference, may enhance cognitive abilities in cats.
Paw preference is a stable and reliable indicator of cognitive performance in problem-solving tasks for cats.