Comparative Studies of Cognitive Processes

老鼠、鸽子和狗将在实验中被研究，旨在发现这些动物的新认知过程，或者进一步探索最近发现的过程。这些过程包括信息寻找、时间图的形成和使用、通过记忆检索促进学习以及不同保留条件下工作记忆和参考记忆的相互作用。信息寻找程度（元认知的一种）将在径向迷宫中进行研究，该迷宫的条件是通过操作反应（按杠杆）获得的信息量不同。当不同的钥匙在不同的时间间隔产生奖励时，鸽子会对三种颜色的钥匙中的哪一种做出反应，以此来检验时间映射理论的预测。最近关于人类记忆的研究发现表明，物品检索和物品学习带来的学习效果是一样的。我将在鸽子身上寻找这一现象，通过研究在一部分获取试验中，当样本之后进行测试（研究组）而不进行测试（检索组）时，对样本的延迟匹配的获取。在不同的保留间隔、诱导主动干扰以及工作记忆和参考记忆相互冲突的条件下，研究了大鼠和狗的工作记忆和参考记忆的相互作用。在空间记忆测试中，有些位置总是正确的（参考记忆），而其他位置在不同的测试中随机变化（工作记忆）。一旦发现这些过程中的任何一个，将进行进一步的测试以更好地了解它们的性质。

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.