Inferential reasoning in the visual and auditory modalities in cotton top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)
Open Access
Author:
Johns, Tinika N
Area of Honors:
Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Daniel J. Weiss, Thesis Supervisor Robert John Vansaun, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
inferential reasoning inferential reasoning by exclusion cotton-top tamarins visual and auditory modalities
Abstract:
Inferential reasoning by exclusion is defined as the choice of an accurate option by rationally eliminating all other possibilities. Multiple experiments have been run testing the ability of non-human primates to show inferential reasoning, with mixed results. In this experiment, we attempt to extend these studies to a new species, the cotton-top tamarin. Cotton top tamarins were tested to see if they could demonstrate inferential reasoning in either the visual or the auditory domains. The experiments consisted of baiting a cup out of sight of the tamarins, then using different types of cuing to indicate which of two cups contained the food. The food was shown to the tamarins in the visual condition and shaken in the auditory condition. Most tamarins performed better in the positive condition, where they could see the food than negative condition, when they were only given information from an empty cup, when asked to choose the cup with food. This result was expected given the negative condition actually tests for inferential reasoning. Although results varied between individual tamarins, overall, the experiments show tamarins as a species are capable of inferential reasoning in the visual domain, similar to other primate species. While results were not significant in the auditory domain, there is still a possibility that tamarins are capable of inferential reasoning in this domain, but likely at a lesser degree.
