Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) fail to show understanding of means-end connections in a string-pulling task

Animal Cognition
Britta OsthausAlan M Slater

Abstract

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were tested in four experiments for their understanding of means-end connections. In each of the experiments, the dogs attempted to retrieve a food treat that could be seen behind a barrier and which was connected, via string, to a within-reach wooden block. In the experiments, either one or two strings were present, but the treat was attached only to one string. Successful retrieval of the treat required the animals to pull the appropriate string (either by pawing or by grasping the wooden block in their jaws) until the treat emerged from under the barrier. The results showed that the dogs were successful if the treat was in a perpendicular line to the barrier, i.e. straight ahead, but not when the string was at an angle: in the latter condition, the typical response was a proximity error in that the dogs pawed or mouthed at a location closest in line to the treat. When two strings that crossed were present, the dogs tended to pull on the wrong string. The combined results from the experiments show that, although dogs can learn to pull on a string to obtain food, they do not spontaneously understand means-end connections involving strings.

Citations

Aug 16, 2006·Animal Cognition·Stephen E G LeaCatriona M E Ryan
Dec 19, 2007·Animal Cognition·Naoko Irie-SugimotoToshikazu Hasegawa
Mar 30, 2011·Animal Cognition·Friederike RangeZsófia Virányi
Mar 31, 2012·Animal Cognition·Friederike RangeZs Virányi
May 12, 2012·Animal Cognition·Matthew GagneCharles Locurto
Mar 23, 2006·Journal of Comparative Psychology·Juliane BräuerMichael Tomasello
Nov 21, 2013·Animal Cognition·Corsin A MüllerLudwig Huber
Mar 5, 2014·Animal Cognition·Corsin A MüllerFriederike Range
Jan 22, 2010·Animal Cognition·Shannon M A KundeyRebecca German
Aug 9, 2006·Journal of Comparative Psychology·Anne E HelmeNathan J Emery
Aug 9, 2006·Journal of Comparative Psychology·Anne E HelmeNathan J Emery
Jun 13, 2014·Animal Cognition·Stephen J BrzykcySacha Perez-Acevedo
Jun 13, 2009·Behavioural Processes·Sarah Marshall-PesciniEmanuela Prato-Previde
Jun 29, 2015·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Anna Albiach-SerranoJosep Call
Jun 3, 2015·Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine·A E AnikaevN V Meishvili
Apr 25, 2008·Behavioural Processes·Sarah Marshall-PesciniEmanuela Prato Previde
Aug 16, 2006·Animal Cognition·Ludwig Huber, Gyula K Gajdon
Sep 4, 2008·Animal Cognition·Cynthia Schuck-PaimEduardo B Ottoni
Mar 23, 2012·Animal Cognition·Gerit Pfuhl
Apr 11, 2013·Animal Cognition·Bradley Philip Smith, Carla Anita Litchfield
Apr 18, 2020·Frontiers in Veterinary Science·Fabricio CarballoEnikő Kubinyi
Aug 7, 2020·Animal Cognition·Zachary A SilverLaurie R Santos
Sep 27, 2018·Learning & Behavior·Stephen E G Lea, Britta Osthaus
Jul 8, 2020·Journal of Intelligence·Juliane BräuerNatalie Uomini
Feb 12, 2013·Animal Cognition·Edward A WassermanStephen J Brzykcy
Feb 12, 2020·Learning & Behavior·Muhammad A J Qadri, Robert G Cook
Oct 30, 2021·Animal Cognition·Julia EspinosaDaphna Buchsbaum
Aug 31, 2020·Brain, Behavior and Evolution·William GrishamSarah T Thomas
Jan 11, 2020··Ceara ByrneJacob Logas

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Journal of Comparative Psychology
Emma Collier-BakerThomas Suddendorf
Animal Cognition
Friederike RangeZsófia Virányi
Current Biology : CB
Friederike RangeLudwig Huber
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Brian Hare, Michael Tomasello
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved