The thesis reports the first demonstration of two-level hierarchical and linear organisation in six monkeys (Cebus apella). In behaviours elaborated over a four-year period, the hypothesis tested (McGonigle and Chalmers, 1992) was that progressive increases in task difficulty would be compensated by data reducing, economic, organisational structures. Novel touch-screen based procedures required the seriation and search of each item in a test set which, when increased in size, lead to geometrical increases in difficulty. Whilst on one scenario the subject should begin to fail as the task increases in difficulty, the performance of all subjects has shown progressive adaptation to such task requirements. This indicates an underlying dynamic process consistent with the operating hypothesis that cognitive organisation, both linear and hierarchical, are emergent responses motivated by a need for cognitive economy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:649525 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Dickinson, Anthony R. |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/21198 |
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