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March 16, 2010 Psychology 485 Slide 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvaD- 29pQBY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvaD- 29pQBY Introduction History & Definitions Self-recognition Associative processes? Metacognition Associative processes, modeling and Behavioral Economics Slide 3 Rene Descartes Cogito ergo sum I think, therefore I am Dualism Cartesian theatre A place in your head where you are watching things happen Slide 4 Humans are aware of ourselves as animate beings Control of own behaviour Mental representation of ourselves Are animals self-aware? Mirror tasks Slide 5 Thinking about thinking Primary vs secondary representations Assessing internal states is not enough Knowing that you are hungry isnt metacognition Slide 6 Assessing knowledge states Some people know a lot about baseball, some dont know much Do you know how much you know? e.g. I really have to study for this midterm tomorrow, I dont know anything! Know a lot Know a little John is a moderate fan of baseball Slide 7 Do not interpret as higher cognitive process if lower process will suffice Difficult to show secondary representations (especially without language) Can self-awareness and metacognition be explained through reinforcement history and/or associative learning? Slide 8 Slide 9 A test of self-recognition, self-consciousness Stages: Time to adjust/experience mirror Tranquilize animal and paint 2 dots (visible and control- hidden) See if animal notices dot, compare to control dot A nimals tested: chimps, dolphins, elephants, magpies, cats?magpies cats Slide 10 Epstein, Lanza & Skinner (1981) Trained pigeons to peck at blue dot Experience with mirror (see blue dot in mirror, peck at origin) Blue dot on pigeon, under bib Peck at bib video video Slide 11 Skinner Kinds of questions we ask children reinforces self-observation e.g., are you hungry? what are you doing? Accurate response likely results in some form of desired outcome (i.e., reinforcement of behaviour) 11 Slide 12 Slide 13 Do animals know when they dont know? Dolpins, pigeons, rats, non-human primates Testing procedure Some trials include the option to decline If animals know they dont know, should decline to answer Slide 14 Study phase: Short or Long tone Choice phase: 1/3 Forced Test 2/3 Choice 0.33 0.66 Test phase: 6 pellets if correct 0 pellets if incorrect 3 pellets Slide 15 If animals have metacognition: Increase use of decline option as task difficulty increases Red-green not much use of decline Light green-dark green more use of decline Accuracy is higher on chosen tests than forced tests You choose to take the test when you know the answer Accuracy difference increases with task difficulty Can associative processes explain higher accuracy on Chosen tests? Slide 16 Smith, Beran, Couchman, & Coutinho, 2008 Reinforcement of decline options creates a low frequency tendency to decline Competes with generalization gradients for each stimulus Slide 17 Subjective level of stimulus Response Strength High Low ShortLong Decline Threshold Slide 18 Reinforcement to decline option creates a constant response-strength tendency Competes with response-strength of stimuli Winner-take-all mechanism Since it is based on subjective view of stimuli, also accounts for difference between Chosen-Forced accuracy Slide 19 Shows associative processes can explain metacognition Morgans canon? Slide 20 Jozefowiez, Staddon & Cerutti, 2009 Similar to quantitative model, but measures Probability of payoff Risk levels (is animal risk-prone or risk-averse?) Slide 21 Subjective level of stimulus Payoff 1.0 0 ShortLong Short responseLong response Probability of payoff at subjective equality is diminished Slide 22 Subjective level of stimulus Payoff 1.0 0 ShortLong Short responseLong response Correct 50% of time, average reward = 3 pellets Decline reward = 3 pellets Risk Neutral Slide 23 Subjective level of stimulus Payoff 1.0 0 ShortLong Short responseLong response Risk Averse Would rather guarantee payoff of 3 than risk no reward Slide 24 More on this next week... When might an animal want to guarantee some kind of payoff? When might they be willing to risk it for the larger payoff? Model accounts for changing needs, and metacognition Still doesnt assume metacognition Slide 25 http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archiv es/2007/01/010807.html http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archiv es/2007/01/010807.html Is self- awareness/metacognition/consciousness necessary? Why learn to be self-aware? Evolutionary advantages?