Learning to learn during visual discrimination in group housed dwarf goats (Capra hircus)
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2007 |
Authors: |
J. Langbein, K. Siebert, G. Nürnberg, G. Manteuffel |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Comparative Psychology |
Keywords: |
automated learning device, dwarf goats, learning set, learning to learn, visual discrimination |
ISBN: |
1939-2087 0735-7036 |
Abstract:
Using an automated learning device, we investigated “learning to learn” by dwarf goats (Capra hircus)
in what was for them a familiar environment and normal social settings. Nine problems, each consisting
of four discriminable black symbols, each with one S and three different S , were presented on a
computer screen. Mean daily learning success improved over the course of the first four problems, and
the improvement was maintained throughout the remaining five problems. The number of trials to reach
the learning criterion decreased significantly beginning with problem four. Such results may be interpreted
as evidence that the goats were developing a learning set. In the present case, the learning set
appeared to have two components. One involved gaining familiarity and apparent understanding of the
learning device and the basic requirements of the discrimination task. The second component involved
learning potential error factors to be ignored, as well as learning commonalities that carried over from
one problem to the next. Among the error factors, evidence of apparent preferences for specific symbols
was seen, which had a predictable effect on performances.