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Chapter 10 Comparative Cognition
1. The field of comparative cognition is concerned with comparing the cognitive abilities of
a. people of different ages
b. people with different educational backgrounds
c. different species of animals, including humans
d. individuals with different developmental disabilities
Answer: c
Rationale:
Comparative cognition focuses on comparing cognitive abilities across different species,
including humans. This field seeks to understand similarities and differences in cognitive
processes among various animals, providing insights into evolutionary and ecological factors
influencing cognition.
2. Another name for short-term memory is
a. working memory
b. reference memory
c. abstract memory
d. concrete memory
Answer: a
Rationale:
Short-term memory is often referred to as working memory, which involves the temporary
storage and manipulation of information necessary for performing cognitive tasks in the
present moment.
3. Performance on a delayed matching to sample task can be affected by
a. the duration of the delay between sample and comparison stimuli
b. the species of the subject
c. the stimuli presented on previous trials
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Rationale:
Various factors can influence performance on a delayed matching to sample task. The
duration of the delay between sample and comparison stimuli, the species of the subject, and
the stimuli presented on previous trials all have been shown to impact task performance.
4. If learning of new information makes it more difficult to remember older information, this
is
a. proactive interference
b. retroactive interference
c. prospective coding
d. retrospective coding
Answer: b
Rationale:
Retroactive interference occurs when newly acquired information disrupts the recall of
previously learned information. It involves interference with memory consolidation
processes, making it harder to retrieve older memories.
5. Keeping track of what responses or tasks you need to make next is an example
a. proactive interference
b. retroactive interference
c. prospective coding
d. retrospective coding
Answer: c
Rationale:
Prospective coding involves the anticipation and planning of future actions or tasks. It
enables individuals to organize their behavior according to upcoming demands, such as
remembering what responses or tasks need to be performed next.
6. In a radial-arm maze, rats typically
a. move from one arm to the next in an orderly sequence
b. have no clear order to their choices of arms, yet seldom revisit the same arm twice
c. have no clear order to their choices of arms, and make many repeat visits to the same arms
d. tend to return to the arms where they first received food
Answer: b
Rationale:
Rats in a radial-arm maze typically exhibit random choices of arms without a clear sequential
pattern. However, they tend to avoid revisiting the same arm twice, indicating a form of
spatial memory guiding their navigation.
7. Research has suggested that rats in a radial-arm maze tend to use
a. prospective coding
b. retrospective coding
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
Studies have shown that rats in a radial-arm maze utilize both prospective (planning future
actions) and retrospective (recalling past experiences) coding strategies to navigate the maze
effectively, indicating a combination of anticipatory and retrospective spatial memory
processes.
8. Which of the following provides evidence for maintenance rehearsal in animals?
a. research on discrimination reversals
b. research on directed forgetting
c. research on the speed of acquisition in classical conditioning
d. all of the above
Answer: b
Rationale:
Research on directed forgetting, where animals are instructed to forget specific information,
provides evidence for maintenance rehearsal in animals. This suggests that animals can
actively maintain information in memory through rehearsal processes similar to those
observed in humans.
9. According to Wagner's theory of rehearsal in animals, a surprising post-trial episode can
diminish the conditioning from a CS-US pairing because
a. surprising events attract a good deal of attention
b. short term memory has limited capacity
c. both rehearsal and attention make use of short-term memory
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Rationale:
Wagner's theory suggests that surprising events after conditioning trials diminish the
conditioning because they attract attention, which competes with the rehearsal of the
conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) association in short-term
memory. Additionally, both attention and rehearsal processes utilize the limited capacity of
short-term memory, further interfering with memory consolidation.
10. Suppose a rabbit receives a series of classical conditioning trials, and after a trial,
something surprising happens. The conditioning will probably be slowest if the surprising
event occurs
a. 3 seconds after each conditioning trial
b. 10 seconds after each conditioning trial
c. 90 seconds after each conditioning trial
d. after some conditioning trials but not others
Answer: a
Rationale:
Conditioning is likely to be slowest if the surprising event occurs immediately after each
conditioning trial (3 seconds delay), as this timing maximizes interference with memory
consolidation processes. The short delay allows for optimal disruption of the association
between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US), leading to slower
conditioning.
11. Research with pigeons has shown that they can learn a list of slides, treating some as
positive and some as negative
a. as long as the list includes no more than seven slides
b. with up to about 20 slides
c. with up to about 100 slides
d. with more than 1000 slides
Answer: d
Rationale:
Pigeons have demonstrated impressive memory capabilities, being able to learn lists with
over a thousand slides. This indicates their ability to process and retain a large amount of
information, making option d the correct choice.
12. Clark's nutcrackers can hide several thousand seeds in different caches and retrieve them
much later. To accomplish this feat, the birds appear to use
a. memory for specific visual landmarks
b. their sense of smell
c. the appearance of the soil above a cache
d. random trial and error
Answer: a
Rationale:
Clark's nutcrackers rely on memory for specific visual landmarks to retrieve the seeds they've
hidden. This indicates a spatial memory capability, making option a the correct choice.
13. According to Weber's law, which of the following temporal discriminations would be the
most difficult for an animal to learn?
a. a 20-second tone versus a 40-second tone
b. a 5-second tone versus a 7-second tone
c. a 1-second tone versus a 2-second tone
d. a 20-second tone versus a 40-second light
Answer: b
Rationale:
Weber's law states that the difference threshold is proportional to the magnitude of the
stimulus. In temporal discriminations, smaller differences are harder to discern. Therefore,
the 5-second versus 7-second tone discrimination would be the most difficult to learn.
14. The context-shift effect in memory is the finding that recall can be better if
a. the context is free from distractions
b. you switch to a new context when trying to remember something
c. the context during recall is the same as when the learning took place
d. none of the above
Answer: c
Rationale:
The context-shift effect indicates that recall is better when the context during recall matches
the context during learning. This suggests the importance of environmental cues in memory
retrieval, making option c the correct choice.
15. The peak procedure has been used to demonstrate an animal's ability
a. to discriminate between two stimuli of different durations
b. to discriminate between two different numbers of objects
c. to time the duration of an interval that sometimes ends with a reinforcer
d. all of the above
Answer: c
Rationale:
The peak procedure is used to measure an animal's timing ability, specifically its ability to
time the duration of an interval that sometimes ends with a reinforcer, making option c the
correct choice.
16. After learning to discriminate between two and four sounds, rats
a. need no additional training to discriminate between two and four light pulses
b. need only a moderate amount of training to discriminate between two and four light pulses
c. have great difficulty learning to discriminate between two and four light pulses
d. can perform this task with no mistakes
Answer: a
Rationale:
Once rats learn to discriminate between two and four sounds, they can transfer this
discrimination to other sensory modalities like light pulses without needing additional
training, making option a the correct choice.
17. The impressive counting skills of the parrot Alex included the ability to
a. count objects he had never seen before
b. count up to six objects
c. say both the number of objects and their name
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Rationale:
Alex the parrot demonstrated remarkable counting abilities, including counting objects he had
never seen before, counting up to six objects, and associating numbers with objects, making
option d the correct choice.
18. Suppose a pigeon must peck five response keys in the correct order to receive
reinforcement. Which of the following orders of stimuli would probably be the easiest for a
pigeon to learn?
a. blue, red, green, yellow, orange
b. blue, red, green, triangle, circle
c. blue, triangle, red, circle, green
d. triangle, circle, diamond, square, line
Answer: d
Rationale:
The order "triangle, circle, diamond, square, line" provides distinct visual stimuli in a
sequential order, making it easier for a pigeon to learn the required sequence, making option
d the correct choice.
19. Studies on chunking by animals have found evidence that at least some species can
a. learn a list faster if the experiment provides them with items that are grouped into chunks
b. develop their own chunks and use them to perform better
c. use chunks to teach the younger individuals in their group
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Rationale:
Research indicates that animals can benefit from chunking, either through experimental
design or by developing their own chunking strategies, which can enhance learning and
performance, making option d the correct choice.
20. The chimpanzee Washoe, who was taught American Sign Language by the Gardners,
failed to
a. use the signs spontaneously, to initiate a conversation
b. learn signs for verbs
c. use a consistent word order, or grammar
d. learn more than about 20 signs
Answer: c
Rationale:
While Washoe demonstrated considerable linguistic ability, she struggled with using
consistent word order and grammar, indicating a limitation in grasping syntactic structures,
making option c the correct choice.
21. The chimpanzee Sarah, who was taught to use plastic symbols for words by David
Premack, failed to
a. use the symbols spontaneously, to initiate a conversation
b. learn symbols for verbs
c. use a consistent word order, or grammar
d. use the symbols to answer questions
Answer: a
Rationale:
Sarah's failure to spontaneously use the symbols to initiate a conversation suggests a lack of
true comprehension and use of language for communicative purposes. This inability to
engage in meaningful dialogue differentiates her from humans who can initiate conversations
using language.
22. In his critique of research on animal language, Terrace argued that
a. chimpanzees rely heavily on simple imitation of their trainers
b. chimpanzees use almost no consistent word order, or grammar
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
Terrace's critique highlights both aspects: chimpanzees' reliance on imitation rather than
genuine linguistic understanding and their lack of consistent grammar or word order,
indicating that both statements are true.
23. Studies have shown that chimpanzees can solve problems involving
a. analogies
b. transitive inference
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
Research has demonstrated that chimpanzees possess the ability to solve problems involving
both analogies and transitive inference, indicating cognitive capabilities beyond simple
associative learning.
24. Studies have shown that cats and dogs can solve problems involving
a. analogies
b. object permanence
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: b
Rationale:
While cats and dogs have demonstrated the ability to understand object permanence, there is
limited evidence to suggest they can solve problems involving analogies, making option b the
correct choice.
25. If a chimpanzee learns that A is larger than B, and B is larger than C, it may choose A
when given a choice between A and C. This problem is a test of
a. analogical reasoning
b. transitive inference
c. prospective coding
d. serial pattern learning
Answer: b
Rationale:
This scenario describes a classic transitive inference problem, where the chimpanzee uses its
understanding of relative size relationships to make a logical inference about the relationship
between A and C.
26. Which of the following has not been found in any creatures other than humans?
a. the correct use of pronouns and prepositions
b. reference to objects and events not present
c. accurate counting above 12 objects
d. the ability to recognize a repeating serial pattern
Answer: c
Rationale:
While some non-human animals have demonstrated basic counting abilities, accurate
counting above 12 objects has not been observed in any species besides humans.
27. Which of the following characteristics of human language has not been found in any other
species?
a. the use of abstract symbols
b. productivity
c. grammar
d. none of the above (that is, all of these have been found in other species)
Answer: d
Rationale:
Research has shown evidence of each of these characteristics in various non-human species,
such as the use of abstract symbols in some primates, productivity in certain bird species, and
rudimentary grammar in various animal communication systems.
Test Bank for Learning and Behavior
James E. Mazur
9780205864812, 9780205246441
