Numerical Representation for Action in Crows Obeys the Weber-Fechner Law

Area of Science:

• Cognitive ethology
• Comparative psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The psychophysics of number sense (perceiving numerical quantities) are well-studied.
• Numerical representations for action remain largely unexplored in humans and animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral principles of numerical representations for action in carrion crows.
• To determine if crows exhibit similar psychophysical laws in number production as observed in number perception.

Main Methods:

• Two carrion crows were trained to associate numerical values (1-5) with instruction stimuli.
• Crows performed a matching number of pecks based on the numerical value.
• Quantitative analysis of peck production performance was conducted.

Main Results:

• Crow performance exhibited the numerical distance effect and numerical magnitude effect.
• Logarithmical compression of the number line was observed in their number production.
• Behavioral regularities mirrored those found in sensory numerosity judgment.

Conclusions:

• Carrion crows demonstrate sophisticated number production abilities.
• Findings suggest a unified sensorimotor number representation system.
• This system underlies both the judgment of external stimuli and internally generated actions.