Chow Pizza Ka Yee, Lea Stephen E G, de Ibarra Natalie Hempel, Robert Théo
Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK.
Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Env. Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
Anim Cogn. 2019 Sep;22(5):645-655. doi: 10.1007/s10071-019-01261-6. Epub 2019 Apr 11.
Inhibiting learned behaviours when they become unproductive and searching for an alternative solution to solve a familiar but different problem are two indicators of flexibility in problem solving. A wide range of animals show these tendencies spontaneously, but what kind of search process is at play behind their problem-solving success? Here, we investigated how Eastern grey squirrels, Sciurus carolinensis, solved a modified mechanical problem that required them to abandon their preferred and learned solution and search for alternative solutions to retrieve out-of-reach food rewards. Squirrels could solve the problem by engaging in either an exhaustive search (i.e., using trial-and-error to access the reward) or a 'backup' solution search (i.e., recalling a previously successful but non-preferred solution). We found that all squirrels successfully solved the modified problem on their first trial and showed solving durations comparable to their last experience of using their preferred solution. Their success and high efficiency could be explained by their high level of inhibitory control as the squirrels did not persistently emit the learned and preferred, but now ineffective, pushing behaviour. Although the squirrels had minimal experience in using the alternative (non-preferred) successful solution, they used it directly or after one or two failed attempts to achieve success. Thus, the squirrels were using the 'backup' solution search process. Such a process is likely a form of generalisation which involves retrieving related information of an experienced problem and applying previous successful experience during problem solving. Overall, our results provide information regarding the search process underlying the flexibility observable in problem-solving success.
当习得行为变得徒劳无功时抑制它，并寻找替代解决方案来解决一个熟悉但不同的问题，这是解决问题灵活性的两个指标。许多动物都会自发地表现出这些倾向，但在它们解决问题成功的背后，是怎样的搜索过程在起作用呢？在这里，我们研究了东部灰松鼠（Sciurus carolinensis）是如何解决一个经过改进的机械问题的，这个问题要求它们放弃偏好的习得解决方案，转而寻找替代方案来获取够不到的食物奖励。松鼠可以通过进行详尽搜索（即通过试错来获取奖励）或“备用”解决方案搜索（即回忆之前成功但非偏好的解决方案）来解决问题。我们发现，所有松鼠在第一次尝试时都成功解决了这个改进后的问题，并且解决问题的时长与它们上次使用偏好解决方案的经历相当。它们的成功和高效率可以用它们高度的抑制控制来解释，因为松鼠没有持续发出习得的、偏好的但现在无效的推搡行为。尽管松鼠在使用替代（非偏好）成功解决方案方面经验很少，但它们直接使用了该方案，或者在一两次失败尝试后取得了成功。因此，松鼠使用的是“备用”解决方案搜索过程。这样的过程可能是一种泛化形式，它涉及检索一个已解决问题的相关信息，并在解决问题时应用以前的成功经验。总的来说，我们的结果提供了有关解决问题成功中所观察到的灵活性背后的搜索过程的信息。
