Comparative Studies of Cognitive Processes

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Rats, pigeons and dogs will be studied in experiments designed to discover new cognitive processes in these animals or to further explore only recently discovered processes. These processes are information seeking, the formation and use of temporal maps, the facilitation of learning through memory retrieval, and the interaction of working and reference memory under different retention conditions. Degree of information seeking (a type of metacognition) will be studied on a radial maze under conditions that vary the amount of information gained by making an operant response (lever pressing). Predictions from temporal mapping theory will be tested by examining which of three colored keys pigeons respond to during sessions when different keys yield reward during different time intervals. Recent findings in human memory indicate that item retrieval leads to as much learning as item study. I will search for this phenomenon in pigeons by examining the acquisition of delayed matching-to-sample when samples are followed by a test (study group) and are not followed by a test (retrieval group) on a portion of acquisition trials. The interaction of working and reference memories will be examined in rats and dogs under conditions that vary the retention interval, induce proactive interference, and place working and reference memory in conflict. Spatial memory tests will be performed in which some locations are always correct (reference memory) and others vary randomly among trials (working memory). Upon discovery of any of these processes, further tests will be carried out to better understand their nature.