213 research outputs found
Near-death experiences as a tool for forming a broader comprehension of the link between consciousness and social perception: commentary on Graziano and Kastner (2011)
No full textOne vs. two non-symbolic numerical systems? Looking to the ATOM theory for clues to the mystery
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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
No full textIt 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
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
The contribution of fish studies to the "number sense" debate
No full textAbstractLeibovich et al. propose that number sense is not innate but gradually emergent during ontogeny following experience. We argue that this hypothesis cannot be reasonably tested in humans, in which the contribution of neural maturation and experience cannot be experimentally manipulated. Studies on animals, especially fish, can more effectively provide critical insights into the innate nature of numerical abilities.</jats:p
Understanding the origin of number sense: A review of fish studies
No full textThe ability to use quantitative information is thought to be adaptive in a wide range of ecological contexts. For nearly a century, the numerical abilities of mammals and birds have been extensively studied using a variety of approaches. However, in the last two decades, there has been increasing interest in investigating the numerical abilities of teleosts (i.e. a large group of ray-finned fish), mainly due to the practical advantages of using fish species as models in laboratory research. Here, we review the current state of the art in this field. In the first part, we highlight some potential ecological functions of numerical abilities in fish and summarize the existing literature that demonstrates numerical abilities in different fish species. In many cases, surprising similarities have been reported among the numerical performance of mammals, birds and fish, raising the question as to whether vertebrates' numerical systems have been inherited from a common ancestor. In the second part, we will focus on what we still need to investigate, specifically the research fields in which the use of fish would be particularly beneficial, such as the genetic bases of numerical abilities, the development of these abilities and the evolutionary foundation of vertebrate number sense.
This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The origins of numerical abilities’.</jats:p
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
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