Are monkeys intuitive Aristotelians? Associations between target size and vertical target position in long-tailed macaques.

ABSTRACT: Different hypotheses have been put forward to explain the interaction between size perception and spatial position. To explore the evolutionary roots of these phenomena, we tested long-tailed macaques' performance in a two-choice discrimination task on a touchscreen and contrasted two hypotheses. First, a hierarchy association in which large objects are associated with top positions, due to a link between power, dominance and importance with top position. Second, a naive Aristotelian association in which large objects are associated with bottom positions, due to the experience that larger objects are heavier and thus more likely to be found at the bottom. Irrespective of training regime (positively reinforcing the small (Touch-Small) or large (Touch-Large) stimulus), the monkeys had a bias

SUBMITTER: Keupp S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5936887 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature