Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) solve multiple-string problems by the spatial relation of string and reward.

ABSTRACT: String-pulling is a widely used paradigm in animal cognition research to assess what animals understand about the functionality of strings as a means to obtain an out-of-reach reward. This study aimed to systematically investigate what rules Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) use to solve different patterned string tasks, i.e. tasks in which subjects have to choose between two or more strings of which only one is connected to the reward, or where one is more efficient. Arranging strings in a parallel configuration showed that the jays were generally capable of solving multiple-string tasks and acted in a goal-directed manner. The slanted and crossed configurations revealed a reliance on a "proximity rule", that is, a tendency to choose the string-end closest to the reward. When co

SUBMITTER: Hofmann MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5054065 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature