Can squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) learn self-control? A study using food array selection tests and reverse-reward contingency.
Eight squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were presented with 2 stimulus arrays, namely 1 and 4 pieces of food, but they received only the array other than the one they reached for. In this reverse-reward condition, all monkeys initially showed a strong preference for the larger array. One monkey learned to reach toward the smaller array when a large-or-none reward contingency was applied (i.e., no reward followed a reach toward the larger array, but this array was given for a reach toward the smaller array). When correction trials and time-out were added to the large-or-none procedure, all remaining monkeys except 1 learned this form of self-control. Performance was maintained when correction trials were discontinued, the original reverse-reward condition was rerun, and novel array-size pairs were presented. This study demonstrates one form of self-control in a New World primate and shows the reverse-reward procedure to be a potentially valuable method for assessing species and individual differences in self-control and numerosity-related abilities.
Anderson
J R
JR
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Scotland. jra1@stir.ac.uk
Awazu
S
S
Fujita
K
K
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D012201:Reward; D012453:Saimiri / Q000523:psychology*