title: Same/different concept learning by capuchin monkeys in matching-to-sample tasks.
abstract: The ability to understand similarities and analogies is a fundamental aspect of human advanced cognition. Although subject of considerable research in comparative cognition, the extent to which nonhuman species are capable of analogical reasoning is still debated. This study examined the conditions under which tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) acquire a same/different concept in a matching-to-sample task on the basis of relational similarity among multi-item stimuli. We evaluated (i) the ability of five capuchin monkeys to learn the same/different concept on the basis of the number of items composing the stimuli and (ii) the ability to match novel stimuli after training with both several small stimulus sets and a large stimulus set. We found the first evidence of same/different relational matching-to-sample abilities in a New World monkey and demonstrated that the ability to match novel stimuli is within the capacity of this species. Therefore, analogical reasoning can emerge in monkeys under specific training conditions.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy. valentina.truppa@istc.cnr.it
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Truppa
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piano Mortari
authors.forename: Duilio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garofoli
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Privitera
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Visalberghi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002428:Cebus; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*