1,721,103 research outputs found
Numeri senza linguaggio. Il contributo della psicologia animale
No full textLa maggior parte di noi associa all’espressione “capacità numeriche” ricordi dei tempi della scuola. Tuttavia ogni essere umano possiede anche un patrimonio di competenze innate rudimentali che non hanno nulla a che vedere con la cultura o il percorso scolastico, le cosiddette abilità numeriche “pre-verbali”.
E gli animali? Sanno contare? Studi di psicologia animale hanno documentato come la capacità di usare i numeri sia tutt’altro che una prerogativa umana. Il presente volume si propone di riassumere lo stato dell’arte nel settore, affrontando i principali temi di discussione e inquadrando le ricerche comparate all’interno del più ampio dibattito relativo all’elaborazione numerica in assenza di linguaggio. Un approccio multidisciplinare che accompagnerà il lettore in un mondo di numeri che “non parlano”
La cognizione numerica degli animali: il Teleosteo Gambusia Holbrooki come modello sperimentale
Full text linkIt has long been recognized that the ability to make numerical judgments predates the evolution of human language. In the last few decades, a large body of evidence has accumulated on numerical competence in mammal and birds, but little is known about the numerical abilities in lower vertebrates.
The present research investigated numerical competence in fish, using both spontaneous choice test and training procedure. Results of free-choice test show that female mosquitofish seem to use two distinct systems for quantity discrimination; at the same time this study provides persuasive evidence that, when choosing between two shoals differing in numerosity, fish do not use numerical representation but rather base their choice on non-numerical variables that are correlated with group size.
Training procedure demostrated, however, that fish can learn how to distinguish among 2 e 3 elements without attending the visual cues spontaneously considered in free-choice tests.
To date, this research represents the first evidence in literature of numerical competence in fish
Spontaneous versus trained numerical abilities. A comparison between the two main tools to study numerical competence in non-human animals
No full textA large body of experimental evidence shows that animals as diverse as mammals, birds, and fish are capable of processing numerical information. Considerable differences have been reported in some cases among species and a wide debate currently surrounds the issue of whether all vertebrates share the same numerical systems or not. Part of the problem is due to the fact that these studies often use different methods, a circumstance that potentially introduces confounding factors in a comparative analysis. In most studies, two main methodological approaches have been used: spontaneous choice tests and training procedures. The former approach consists of presenting to the subjects two groups of biologically-relevant stimuli (e.g., food items or social companions) differing in numerosity with the assumption that if they are able to discriminate between the two quantities, they are expected to spontaneously select the larger/smaller quantity. In the latter approach, subjects undergo extensive training in which some neutral stimuli (e.g., a quantity of dots) are associated with a reward and the capacity to learn a numerical rule is taken as evidence of numerical abilities. We review the literature on this topic, highlighting the relevance, and potential weaknesses in controlling confounding factors obtained with either approach
Musicians outperform nonmusicians in magnitude estimation: Evidence of a common processing mechanism for time, space and numbers
No full textIt has been proposed that time, space, and numbers may be computed by a common magnitude system. Even though several behavioural and neuroanatomical studies have focused on this topic, the debate is still open. To date, nobody has used the individual differences for one of these domains to investigate the existence of a shared cognitive system. Musicians are known to outperform nonmusicians in temporal discrimination tasks. We therefore observed professional musicians and nonmusicians undertaking three different tasks: temporal (participants were required to estimate which of two tones lasted longer), spatial (which line was longer), and numerical discrimination (which group of dots was more numerous). If time, space, and numbers are processed by the same mechanism, it is expected that musicians will have a greater ability, even in nontemporal dimensions. As expected, musicians were more accurate with regard to temporal discrimination. They also gave better performances in both the spatial and the numerical tasks, but only outside the subitizing range. Our data are in accordance with the existence of a common magnitude system. We suggest, however, that this mechanism may not involve the whole numerical range
One vs. two non-symbolic numerical systems? Looking to the ATOM theory for clues to the mystery
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Near-death experience: Out-of-body and out-of-brain?
No full textDuring the last decades, several clinical cases have been reported where patients described profound subjective experiences when near-death, a phenomenon called "near-death experience" (NDE). Recurring features in the accounts involving bright lights and tunnels have sometimes been interpreted as evidence of a new life after death; however the origin of such experiences is largely unknown, and both biological and psychological interpretations have been suggested. The study of NDEs represents one of the most important topics of cognitive neuroscience. In the present paper the current state of knowledge has been reviewed, with particular regard to the main features of NDE, scientific explanations and the theoretical debate surrounding this phenomenon
Turning to the larger shoal: are there individual differences in small- and large-quantity discrimination of guppies?
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