[A comparative physiological study of the generalization function in primates].

Fundamental rules of the generalization function formation and development were formulated on the basis of comparative analysis of visual discrimination, summarizing and abstraction in the representatives of various primate subfamilies. It was established that monkeys and apes (Macaca mulatta, Cebus apella, Pan troglodytes) learning to define such abstract characteristic as relative size of visual pictures of natural and geometrical objects were able to use previously remembered rules elaborated under the solving of other visual tasks. Learning processes were realized more affectively, if the pictures of natural objects were represented to the monkeys. The comparison of generalization processes in monkeys and apes revealed multilevel organisation of the processes in apes. The latter showed high level of ability to operate with abstract ideas elaborated previously in the course of the experiments.