Comparative Studies of Cognitive Processes

大鼠、鸽子和狗将在旨在发现这些动物新的认知过程或进一步探索最近发现的过程的实验中进行研究。 这些过程包括信息寻求、时间地图的形成和使用、通过记忆提取促进学习以及不同保持条件下工作记忆和参考记忆的相互作用。 信息寻求的程度（一种元认知）将在径向迷宫中进行研究，研究条件是通过操作性反应（压杆）获得的信息量不同。 时间映射理论的预测将通过检查鸽子在不同的时间间隔内对三种颜色的钥匙中的哪一种做出反应来进行测试。 人类记忆的最新研究结果表明，项目提取和项目学习一样能促进学习。 我将寻找这种现象在鸽子通过检查收购的延迟匹配到样本时，样本随后进行测试（研究组），并没有随后进行测试（检索组）的一部分收购试验。 将在改变保留间隔、诱导前摄干扰以及将工作记忆和参考记忆置于冲突中的条件下，在大鼠和犬中检查工作记忆和参考记忆的相互作用。 将进行空间记忆测试，其中一些位置总是正确的（参考记忆），其他位置在试验中随机变化（工作记忆）。 一旦发现任何这些过程，将进行进一步的测试，以更好地了解其性质。

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.