An exploratory study on comparative social cognitive science: a biological basis of personal space

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22870
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 61:Human informatics and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAI Nobuyuki 名古屋大学, 情報学研究科, 教授 (30335062)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 伊澤 栄一 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 教授 (10433731) ; 池田 譲 琉球大学, 理学部, 教授 (30342744)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 比較認知 / ヴァーチャル・リアリティー / パーソナルスペース / 社会行動 / 霊長類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to establish a new study domain called “virtual reality comparative and social cognitive science”. We created computer graphic (CG) animal models in virtual reality (VR) environments and tested whether live animals interact with those CG animals. Marmoset monkeys stopped their on-going behavior when they watched a CG marmoset approaching but not when they watched that of static image. We gave instructions on various chromatic body patterns of cuttlefish to deep learning system, which enabled us to discriminate six chromatic patterns (uniform, circle, disruptive, dark, line and eyespots) of cuttlefish with successful rate over 77 % within 0.02 sec analysis time. We also succeeded to create the CG of cuttlefish that exhibit the six chromatic patterns above and can move as well. This is the most elaborate CG system of cephalopods so far. By using these systems, we can expect to develop unique behavioral test for animal social behavior in the future.

Free Research Field

実験心理学・認知科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

動物の社会行動を調べる研究は、動物の認知を知るだけでなく、動物園などの環境エンリッチメントにも有用である。同種他個体に対する認知や行動を調べる必要があるが、動物は、実験者が計画したとおりに行動しないので、同じ条件での実験実施が困難であった。仮想現実（VR）技術を用い、霊長類（パーソナルスペース）と頭足類（体色変化）の社会行動を調べ、実験者が意図した条件で動物の社会行動の研究が可能なことを示した。