Animal Memory

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how research on memory in non-human primates has demonstrated remarkable similarities and abilities in both humans and other primates. It looks at how non-human primates have brains similar to our own and it has been demonstrated that they can be conditioned and trained in certain areas of knowledge such as, sign language, that have traditionally been thought of as skills only human beings possess. It also examines how research on non-human primates focuses on tasks such as, object recognition, and categorization skills, and compares them to how humans perform on the same tasks.

From the Paper:

"One approach is called the Comparative Cognition approach. Animal studies conducted from this approach focus on similar behaviors in animals and humans in order to determine similarities and differences in motivation, and meaning of the behaviors. Rilling and Neiworth argue that Comparative Cognition acts as an intermediary between theories of cognitive functioning and memory that are biased towards the study of memory in humans, and theories that focus entirely on memory in animals (Rilling, and Neiworth, 1986). Another perspective by which memory is studied in non-human primates is the biological appoach in which issues regarding biology and memory in animals are studied. Finally, memory in animals can be studied in terms of the Information Processing approach, an approach that focuses on how either humans, or animals process information. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baddely, Alan. Human Memory: Theory and Practice. London, UK: Psychology Press, 1997.
• Barth, Jochen, and Call, Josep. "Tracking the Displacement of Objects: A Series of Tasks with
• Great Apes and Young Children ." Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32:3, 2006: 239-252.
• DeCamp, E, Tinker, J.P, and Schneider, J.S. "Attentional Cueing Reverses Deficits in Spatial
• Working Memory Task Performance in Low Dose MPTP Treated Monkeys ." Behavioral Brain Research, 152, 2004: 259-262.

More papers on Animal Memory:

• Term Paper # 150097 : "Issues in Language and Memory"
• Article Review # 94394 : "The Memory of Children"
• Research Paper # 110414 : "Sex Differences in Visual-Spatial Memory"

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