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Many of the tool-using activities of both chimpanzees and children involve a complex mixture of interconnected causal relationships between a tool and a reward, and much of this tool-use is thought to be acquired, at least in part, by social learning. However, despite the considerable research effort focused on both causal understanding and social learning, few studies have directly addressed the potential interaction between these areas. It seems likely that the way in which an individual learns to use a tool through observation will be significantly influenced by its understanding of the causal relationships that it observes. This thesis presents a series of nine experiments with 3- to 7-year-old chimpanzees and 3- 6-year-old children, designed to investigate whether causal information is involved in determining which social learning strategy they employ. The first set of experiments demonstrated that chimpanzees could be influence to switch between imitation and emulation to solve the same task, by altering the availability of causal information. When causal information was available, by presenting a tool-use task in a transparent condition, chimpanzees were found to reproduce only the results of a model's behaviour, consistent with emulation. However, when the availability of causal information was restricted, by presenting the same task in an opaque condition, the chimpanzees included a greater proportion of the model's behaviour, consistent with imitation. The second set of experiments revealed that chimpanzees could learn specific causal information by observation, such as the significance of tool-reward contact. However, they may be overwhelmed by observing multiple causal relationships, or those involving unobservable causal principles, such as gravity or force. The common view that the widespread evidence for emulation in chimpanzee social learning studies indicates a deficit of imitative capacity may therefore be misleading. The results of this thesis suggest more generally that when causal information is available, chimpanzees tend to use emulation. They are also able to imitate, but do so mainly in situations where emulation is not possible. Thus, the availability of causal information plays an important role in chimpanzee social learning, by determining which learning strategy is employed, and ultimately the degree of behavioural fidelity that is achieved, hi contrast, the studies with children revealed that they imitate the actions that they observe without appearing to consider the causal efficiency of their behaviour. This may be due to a greater focus on the actions of a demonstrator rather than the results or goals of their behaviour, and a greater tendency to interpret those actions as intentional.

Le raisonnement par analogie est un aspect fondamental de la cognition humaine souvent considéré comme propre à notre espèce. Des travaux récents utilisant des tâches d'appariement relationnel suggèrent que des chimpanzés, des babouins et des capucins sont également capables de comparer des relations exprimées par des paires d'objets. Cependant, des doutes persistent quant aux stratégies cognitives qu'ils emploient pour résoudre ces tâches, et notamment l'implication du raisonnement par analogie. Cette thèse a pour objectif (1) de déterminer ces stratégies chez le babouin, (2) d'appréhender les facteurs permettant leur émergence et (3) plus généralement de caractériser les continuités et discontinuités entre l'homme et les primates non humains dans leur capacité à raisonner par analogie. Nous avons conduit trois études chez le babouin de Guinée pour aborder ces questions. La première montre que le traitement relationnel chez le babouin implique, comme chez l'homme, à la fois une prise en compte des propriétés des objets et de leurs relations. La seconde étude montre que les babouins utilisent le raisonnement par analogie pour résoudre une tâche d'appariement relationnel puisqu'ils traitent trois niveaux d'informations ; à savoir (1) les objets, (2) les relations entre objets et (3) des relations entre ces relations. La troisième étude montre leur capacité à traiter des relations multidimensionnelles dans une version plus complexe de la tâche d'appariement relationnel. Dans une perspective évolutive, nous discutons des implications de ces travaux du point de vue des continuités et discontinuités entre l'homme et les primates non humains dans leurs capacités d'analogie. / Analogical reasoning is a cornerstone aspect of human cognition, often considered to be human specific. Recent experiments using relational matching-to-sample (RMTS) tasks suggest that chimpanzees, baboons and capuchin monkeys can understand and compare the relations expressed between and within pairs of objects. However, the exact strategies used by these species to solve analogy problem remain unclear at this point. We conducted three studies exploring different aspects of analogical reasoning in the Guinea baboons (Papio papio). The first study showed that (1), as in human, relational processing in baboons involves the processing of both perceptive and relational information, and that (2) the relative contribution of these two types of processing depends on the number of items illustrating each relation during training. The second study showed that the cognitive strategy developed by baboons in a RMTS task involves analogical reasoning. The third study emphasized the ability of baboons to process multidimensional relations in a more complex version of the RMTS task. Altogether, these findings from suggest that (1) baboons are able to use analogical reasoning, to solve at least tasks involving perceptive relations; (2) relational processing and further analogical reasoning skills depend on their previous experience with the different relations. We shall discuss the potential implications of those findings, and the continuity and discontinuity of analogical reasoning skills found in human and nonhuman primates.

A resolução de problemas é uma metodologia de investigação utilizada pela Psicologia experimental desde sua fundação. Um debate na área é quais os efeitos de variáveis de treino sobre a resolução de problemas, e como ocorre um tipo específico de resolução, a chamada resolução súbita, tradicionalmente descrita como Insight. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo averiguar a resolução de problemas a partir do treino independente de habilidades pré-requisito em diferentes tarefas de recombinação de repertórios com diferentes espécies. Adicionalmente, foram feitos testes de entendimento de propriedades funcionais de objetos e repertórios treinados. No Experimento I, dois pombos (Columba livia) foram testados no procedimento padrão de deslocamento de caixa. Os sujeitos aprenderam: a) empurrar uma caixa em direção a um alvo, e b) subir e bicar outro alvo. O teste final requeria que o animal empurrasse a caixa para debaixo de um alvo, subisse e o bicasse. Os dois sujeitos resolveram a tarefa final. No Experimento II, quatro pombos passaram por histórias assimétricas de treino das duas habilidades pré-requisito também da tarefa de deslocamento de caixa. Apenas um dos sujeitos resolveu o problema, e sem a mesma fluidez apresentada pelos sujeitos do Experimento I. O Experimento III manipulou a consequência utilizada no treino de cada habilidade pré-requisito, também na tarefa de deslocamento de caixas. Empurrar em direção a uma luz foi treinado com alimento como consequência, e subir e bicar foi treinado com água como consequência. Nenhum dos quatro pombos resolveu a tarefa em sua primeira tentativa. Todos os sujeitos que resolveram a tarefa nos Experimentos I, II ou III apresentaram resultados similares nos testes de entendimento de propriedades funcionais, que indicaram que pequenas mudanças na situação de teste dificultam a resolução. No Experimento IV, com ratos (Rattus norvegicus), uma nova tarefa foi desenvolvida, que envolvia a recombinação de a) cavar maravalha, e b) subir escadas. Na tarefa final os ratos deveriam cavar a maravalha, encontrar uma passagem escondida que dava acesso a um segundo ambiente no qual haviam escadas que levavam a um pedaço de alimento. Dois ratos aprenderam os dois repertórios e resolveram a tarefa, de forma súbita. Outros quatro ratos que aprenderam somente um dos repertórios não resolveram a tarefa. O Experimento V testou os efeitos da quantidade de treino (Experimento II), tipo de consequência (Experimento III) e contexto de treino e teste, em uma tarefa específica com corvos da Nova Caledônia (Corvus moneduloides). Todos os animais resolveram a tarefa final, entretanto, de forma não súbita. Os dados indicam que a resolução súbita, a partir da recombinação de repertórios aprendidos independentemente é passível do efeito de uma série de variáveis de treino e teste até então pouco estudadas, como a quantidade de treino, tipo de consequência e contexto de treino e teste / Experimental Psychology utilizes problem-solving methodology since its inception. Much was debated about the effects of training variables upon the solution of a problem, especially concerning the sudden solution of specific problem, called Insight. The present work aimed to investigate the solution of different problem in different species after the independent training of pre-requisite repertoires. Additionally, tests regarding the understanding of functional properties of stimuli were made. In Experiment I, two pigeons (Columba livia) were tested in the box-displacement test. The subjects learned to, a) push a box towards a target, and b) to climb and peck another target. The final task required to subjects to push one box towards a target hanging in the ceiling, climb the box and then peck the target. The two subjects solved the final task. In Experiment II, four pigeons had an asymmetric training of the two abilities. Only one of the subjects solved the final task, not as fluidly as the subjects from Experiment I. In Experiment III, the consequence used during the training of each ability was different. Pushing towards a target was reinforced with food, and to climb and peck with water. None of the four birds solved the task in its first presentation. All the subjects that solved the tasks in Experiments I, II and III showed similar performances in the tests regarding the understanding of functional properties of stimuli, suggesting that even minima changes in the test situation can impair the solution. Experiment IV employed a new task, with rats (Rattus norvegicus). Subjects learned to a) digg shavings, and b) climb stairs. In the final task, the rats had to digg and find a passage leading to another ambient containing stairs that lead to food. Two rats that learned the two abilities solved the problem, suddenly. Other four rats that learned only one of the two abilities (dig or climb) didnt solved the problem. Experiment V tested the effects of quantities of training (Experiment II), consequences of trained abilities (Experiment III), and context of training and testing with new caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). All four crows solved the problem, but not suddenly. The data of all experiments suggests that the sudden solution, when acquired through the interconnection of repertoires is more subtle then it is usualy regarded, and that variables of training and testing are crucial for the solution of a problem

A resolução de problemas é uma metodologia de investigação utilizada pela Psicologia experimental desde sua fundação. Um debate na área é quais os efeitos de variáveis de treino sobre a resolução de problemas, e como ocorre um tipo específico de resolução, a chamada resolução súbita, tradicionalmente descrita como Insight. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo averiguar a resolução de problemas a partir do treino independente de habilidades pré-requisito em diferentes tarefas de recombinação de repertórios com diferentes espécies. Adicionalmente, foram feitos testes de entendimento de propriedades funcionais de objetos e repertórios treinados. No Experimento I, dois pombos (Columba livia) foram testados no procedimento padrão de deslocamento de caixa. Os sujeitos aprenderam: a) empurrar uma caixa em direção a um alvo, e b) subir e bicar outro alvo. O teste final requeria que o animal empurrasse a caixa para debaixo de um alvo, subisse e o bicasse. Os dois sujeitos resolveram a tarefa final. No Experimento II, quatro pombos passaram por histórias assimétricas de treino das duas habilidades pré-requisito também da tarefa de deslocamento de caixa. Apenas um dos sujeitos resolveu o problema, e sem a mesma fluidez apresentada pelos sujeitos do Experimento I. O Experimento III manipulou a consequência utilizada no treino de cada habilidade pré-requisito, também na tarefa de deslocamento de caixas. Empurrar em direção a uma luz foi treinado com alimento como consequência, e subir e bicar foi treinado com água como consequência. Nenhum dos quatro pombos resolveu a tarefa em sua primeira tentativa. Todos os sujeitos que resolveram a tarefa nos Experimentos I, II ou III apresentaram resultados similares nos testes de entendimento de propriedades funcionais, que indicaram que pequenas mudanças na situação de teste dificultam a resolução. No Experimento IV, com ratos (Rattus norvegicus), uma nova tarefa foi desenvolvida, que envolvia a recombinação de a) cavar maravalha, e b) subir escadas. Na tarefa final os ratos deveriam cavar a maravalha, encontrar uma passagem escondida que dava acesso a um segundo ambiente no qual haviam escadas que levavam a um pedaço de alimento. Dois ratos aprenderam os dois repertórios e resolveram a tarefa, de forma súbita. Outros quatro ratos que aprenderam somente um dos repertórios não resolveram a tarefa. O Experimento V testou os efeitos da quantidade de treino (Experimento II), tipo de consequência (Experimento III) e contexto de treino e teste, em uma tarefa específica com corvos da Nova Caledônia (Corvus moneduloides). Todos os animais resolveram a tarefa final, entretanto, de forma não súbita. Os dados indicam que a resolução súbita, a partir da recombinação de repertórios aprendidos independentemente é passível do efeito de uma série de variáveis de treino e teste até então pouco estudadas, como a quantidade de treino, tipo de consequência e contexto de treino e teste / Experimental Psychology utilizes problem-solving methodology since its inception. Much was debated about the effects of training variables upon the solution of a problem, especially concerning the sudden solution of specific problem, called Insight. The present work aimed to investigate the solution of different problem in different species after the independent training of pre-requisite repertoires. Additionally, tests regarding the understanding of functional properties of stimuli were made. In Experiment I, two pigeons (Columba livia) were tested in the box-displacement test. The subjects learned to, a) push a box towards a target, and b) to climb and peck another target. The final task required to subjects to push one box towards a target hanging in the ceiling, climb the box and then peck the target. The two subjects solved the final task. In Experiment II, four pigeons had an asymmetric training of the two abilities. Only one of the subjects solved the final task, not as fluidly as the subjects from Experiment I. In Experiment III, the consequence used during the training of each ability was different. Pushing towards a target was reinforced with food, and to climb and peck with water. None of the four birds solved the task in its first presentation. All the subjects that solved the tasks in Experiments I, II and III showed similar performances in the tests regarding the understanding of functional properties of stimuli, suggesting that even minima changes in the test situation can impair the solution. Experiment IV employed a new task, with rats (Rattus norvegicus). Subjects learned to a) digg shavings, and b) climb stairs. In the final task, the rats had to digg and find a passage leading to another ambient containing stairs that lead to food. Two rats that learned the two abilities solved the problem, suddenly. Other four rats that learned only one of the two abilities (dig or climb) didnt solved the problem. Experiment V tested the effects of quantities of training (Experiment II), consequences of trained abilities (Experiment III), and context of training and testing with new caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). All four crows solved the problem, but not suddenly. The data of all experiments suggests that the sudden solution, when acquired through the interconnection of repertoires is more subtle then it is usualy regarded, and that variables of training and testing are crucial for the solution of a problem

Une hypothèse dominant actuellement les théories sur l’évolution des capacités syntaxiques est celle d’une spécificité humaine pour le traitement des grammaires supra-régulières. Cette hypothèse est supportée par les données comparatives actuellement disponibles, qui ne fournissent pas de démonstration non ambiguë de cette capacité chez une autre espèce. Dans cette thèse, nous avons adopté une nouvelle approche consistant à examiner si ces échecs pourraient découler de la difficulté que représente l'extraction de régularités non-adjacentes. Pour tester cette hypothèse, nous avons mené une série de quatre études chez le babouin de guinée (Papio papio) et l’humain. La première étude montre que les babouins requièrent une quantité d’exposition beaucoup plus importante que l’humain pour apprendre des associations non-adjacentes. Dans une seconde étude, les babouins ont pu généraliser des patterns basés sur une répétition adjacente ou non-adjacente d’un élément, mais ils se sont montrés davantage sensibles à ces premiers. Une troisième étude, corrélationnelle, révèle que les babouins se montrant sensibles aux régularités non-adjacentes ne sont pas ceux obtenant les meilleures performances pour l’apprentissage de dépendances adjacentes. Une dernière étude suggère que les babouins sont sensibles à une structure en miroir (impliquant des dépendances centrées-emboitées), mais pas à une structure en copie (à dépendances croisées). Ces résultats mettent au jour une importante continuité des capacités syntaxiques au sein de la lignée des primates, mais révèlent également des différences inter-spécifiques importantes dans les contraintes mnésiques pesant sur celles-ci. / A current dominant hypothesis on the evolution of syntactic abilities propose that the processing of supra-regular grammars is a unique human capacity. In support of this hypothesis, artificial grammar learning studies conducted so far do not provide unambiguous demonstration of this capacity in a non-human species. In this thesis, we adopted a new approach by studying cognitive prerequisites for supra-regular grammar processing. Our hypothesis was that these previous failures could be attributed to a bias in these species towards the exploitation of local regularities and difficulties for processing more distant relationships, rather than an inability to master supra-regular grammars. We conducted a series of experiments in Guinea baboons (Papio papio) and humans to assess this hypothesis. In a first experiment, we show that baboons need much more exposure than humans to learn non-adjacent associations. In a second study, we show that baboons can generalize patterns involving an adjacent or a non-adjacent repetition of an element, but that they are more sensitive to the former. A third, correlational, study reveal that baboons succeeding to extract non-adjacent regularities are not those showing the best performance in learning local ones. A last study suggest that baboons are sensitive to a mirror structure (involving center-embedded dependencies), but not to a copy structure (crossed dependencies). Overall, our results reveal a stronger continuity in grammar processing capacities within the primate order than previously thought, but also highlight important species differences in memory constraints.

For over forty years ability grouping has been of professional concern to educators in the United States (Reisner, 1936). There have been fundamental changes in educational theory and practice during that time, one of which is the recognition that educational practices must adjust to individual differences. The interpretation of "equal opportunity" in education has gradually changed from meaning the same methods, standards, and course content for all children, to meaning the full opportunity for each child to develop his own potential in a school program suited to his individual capacities and needs. The interpersonal relationships and social development of school children have received an increasing amount of attention as we have come to realize the pervasive effect they have on educational objectives and as optimal social adjustment has itself become one of these objectives. As Brumbaugh (1960, p. 99) has pointed out: Mental health and social adjustment are words to conjure with when there is discussion about separate grouping. A half century ago, the fear was that stigma would attach to a child in a special class for those with below average intelligence. It is now replaced by anxiety lest those at the other end of the scale would have feelings of superiority and become egotistical little snobs. There are enough studies of children in such classes to indicate that this does not happen but there is also some evidence that there are concomitant effects which are used to oppose ability grouping on a "social segregation" argument. Taba et al. (1952) as an example of this point of view write: Of special interest for intergroup education is the fact that the static single bases for grouping have almost always fixed homogeneity simultaneously along lines of socioeconomic status, race, and religious background. For example, any type of ability grouping also inadervertently introduces segregation by economic class, race, and neighborhood. Because of their cultural handicaps, children from deviant backgrounds tend to be at the bottom of the heap, as far as school achievement is concerned. Hence, in ability grouping, they are thrown together and separated from other children.... This segregation, of course, prevents learning common culture by association with other children. The stigma attached to the lower ability groups further destroys motivation and self-respect, Thus, a basis is built for both physical and psychological isolation. (pp. 138-1939)

<p>To solicit the attention or determine the intentions of another, we use our eyes. While many animals appear to use eyes as an important behavioral cue, for humans, these cues are especially critical. The power of the eyes to attract and direct attention shapes human behavior from an early age and likely serves as a foundation for social skill acquisition, ranging from simple, friendly eye contact to complex, spoken language, even to our almost mystical ability to empathize and "see the world through another's eyes". Humans have transformed our environment through our economic alliances and military competitions, and our individual successes and failures depend critically on social skills built on a foundation of shared attention. When these abilities break down, as in autism, pervasive social awkwardness can challenge the close relationship of individuals with their friends, family, and community. Nonetheless, we know almost nothing about the brain mechanisms that have evolved to process social cues and convert them into a rich experience of shared attention. To investigate this process, we explored the ability of human and nonhuman primates to follow the attention of other individuals. First, we characterized natural gaze-following behavior using a novel telemetric device in socially-interacting prosimian primates, and later in monkeys and humans responding to gaze cues in the lab. Finally, we examined the neuronal responses to gaze cues in a macaque posterior parietal area implicated in attention control--the lateral intraparietal area, LIP. Our findings suggest that gaze-following abilities may be widespread in social primates, relying on conserved, homologous brain pathways; and that they may not be informationally-encapsulated reflexes, but rather are densely interwoven with diverse social processes. Indeed, we found gaze cues influenced neurons in LIP, part of the dorsal frontoparietal attention network. Finally, we report that "mirror" neurons in parietal areas may thus play a role not only in representing perceived bodily actions, but also perceived mental states such as observed attention.</p> / Dissertation

The aim of this thesis is to examine the cognitive processes of social learning from the bottom up. In the field of comparative psychology, an overemphasis on understanding complex cognitive processes in nonhuman animals (e.g. empathy, imitation), may be detrimental to the study of simpler mechanisms. In this thesis, I report five studies of simple cognitive processes related to social learning. A series of experiments with human children and capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp.), examined action imitation and identified a possible role for associative learning in the development of this ability. An analysis of observational data from captive capuchins explored a number of lesser-studied social learning phenomena, including behavioural synchrony, the neighbour effect, and group-size effects. The results of this study emphasise the importance of exploring behaviour at a number of levels to appreciate the dynamic nature of social influence. Two final experiments examined social contagion in capuchin monkeys, and highlight the importance of describing the relationship between behaviour and emotion to properly understand more complex social cognition. Together, these studies demonstrate how approaching human and nonhuman behaviour from the bottom up, as well as from the top down, can contribute to a better comparative science of social learning.

This study was designed to test the responses of a group of juvenile delinquests and a group of normal adolescents to a sentence completion test. The test used was a modified form of Sack's Sentence Completion test in two forms--form A, first person stems and form B, third person stems. The hypothesis to be tested were (1) people project more in the third person, (2) the normal projects more, and (3) there would be no difference in projection on neutral items. The results bear out the three hypothesis. The sex scale, however, was an exception. This may be due to the deficiency of items on this particular scale.