Lecture 5 Flashcards
Animal Cognition (10 cards)
What is comparative cognition?
The study of cognitive processes in non-human animals.
What are Tinbergen’s Four Whys?
Causation, Ontogeny, Function (Survival Value), and Evolution.
What does ‘causation’ refer to in Tinbergen’s Four Whys?
The immediate mechanisms underlying a behaviour.
What does ‘ontogeny’ mean in the context of animal behaviour?
How a behaviour develops during an animal’s lifetime.
What does ‘function’ (or survival value) refer to?
How a behaviour contributes to the animal’s survival and reproduction.
What does ‘evolution’ refer to in Tinbergen’s Four Whys?
How the behaviour evolved across generations.
What is anthropomorphism?
Attributing human traits to non-human animals.
What is anthropocentrism?
Viewing humans as the central or most important species.
Why is studying animal cognition important?
It provides insight into human cognition, aids in animal welfare, conservation, and training.
What is ‘minimal cognition’?
Basic forms of learning and information processing in simple organisms like invertebrates and plants.
