Comparative Cognitive Developmental Studies in Western Gorillas

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26330173
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA MASAYUKI 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 特任教授 (80280775)
• Research Collaborator: NAGAO Mitsunori 京都市動物園, 動物管理係長 ; YAMANASHI Yumi 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 特定助教 ; HANAZUKA Yuki 中央大学, 大学院文学研究科 ; SHIOTA Yukihiro 京都市動物園, 獣医師 ; OKABE Kota 京都市動物園, 地区水産技術者 ; YOSHIDA Nobuaki (公財)京都高度技術研究所, 副主任研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 比較認知科学 / 動物園 / ゴリラ / 系列学習 / 知性の展示 / 認知的エンリッチメント / 作業記憶

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cognitive tasks have been given to zoo primates in Kyoto City Zoo. This is not only for comparative cognitive studies, but cognitive enrichment for participants. Tasks were serial learning and working memory task with Arabic numerals. Three gorillas and other zoo primates participated in this study. Among participants, a three-year-old male gorilla infant learned more rapidly than others and acquired a sequence from 1 to 12 in one year. It started to learn a "masking memory task". When the subject touched 1, the remaining numerals were masked with checkered squares. The gorilla infant was able to choose the correct sequence from 1 to 5. Its performance in not above chance level, but he can choose correct sequence in 80% of trials. He stepped up to 1 to 6 sequence. In every step, he start from low-level performance and then acquired higher level by learning. These results suggest the gorilla infant did not see the whole sequence from the beginning, but learned to see them.

Free Research Field

比較認知科学