Social Learning Mechanisms Mechanisms
Stimulus or Social Enhancement (instrumental) Drawn to object by conspecific could learn via trial and error
Observational Fear Conditioning (classical) UR caused by a conspecific
Mimicry (“Monkey See-Monkey Do”) Copy for copying sake
Imitation (copy to get goal) Copy exactly to get the same goal as the
demonstrator Self vs. Other Perspective (“Theory of mind”)
Food Preferences and Enhancement
Rats prefer foods eaten by conspecifics not simply, smell of food associated with smell
of the model rat rear end vs. front end matters asleep vs. awake doesn’t social (rat) vs nonsocial (cotton ball) matters
Mimicry, Imitation, Emulation
Mimicry Not intentional
Imitation Imitation, slavish copying with a goal Emulation, non-slavish copying with a goal
(could be “copying of goal” + “trial and error”, or problem solving)
Theory of Mind
• Understanding that others have mental processes that may differ from one’s own
EmotionsKnowledgeVisual Perspective
Knowledge Attribution
Povinelli (1991)
Knower – sees food being hidden Guesser – outside of room
Stage 1: As aboveStage 2: Knower wears hatStage 3: Guesser stays in room with a
bagged head
Alternative
Did chimps discriminate between the two situations based on subtle differences in how the “guesser” and “knower” acted?
Maybe they choose the one with eyes open during hiding?
“Begging Experiment”
Povinelli (1999)
Beg from “seeing” vs. “nonseeing”
Front vs. Back – Yes Pail Beside vs. Over Head - No Averted Eyes vs. Over Shoulder Look –
No Blindfold Mouth vs. Blindfold Eyes - No
Mirror self-recognition: Chimp, Bonobo – Yes Orang-utan, Gorilla – Yes Elephants – Maybe? Dolphins –Maybe? Pigeons –No