Evolutionary processes of the ability to manipulate mental representations: a comparative cognitive study of physical causal understanding

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20652
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90030:Cognitive science-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2021-2022); Doshisha University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Nagano Akane 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳神経科学研究センター, 訪問研究員 (50823019)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 心的表象操作 / 道具使用 / 霊長類 / 齧歯類 / 進化 / 物理的因果理解

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study showed that common squirrel monkeys, one species of New World monkey, unlike rodent rats, tend to select more options that appear to have nothing behind the food in a tool-use task. This finding was presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting of The Japanese Society for Animal Psychology. The results of studies on the manipulation of mental representations in rats were reported in a total of four papers. In addition, I reviewed tool use in nonhuman animals, and summarized my studies on tool use behavior in rats, and wrote a chapter in an international handbook on comparative psychology.

Free Research Field

比較認知科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リスザルを対象に道具使用行動について検証した研究は国内外でも稀であり，齧歯類と同様の課題を用いて齧歯類との直接的な比較を行ったのは本研究が初となる。今後は，他の霊長類や鳥類などといったより広範な種に対して同様の課題を実施することで，心的表象操作のより緻密な進化過程が解明されることが期待される。更に，本研究のような，動物の基本的な認知能力を検証する研究は，ヒトとヒト以外の動物が共生する社会の構築に貢献し得るという波及効果も期待される。