{"pk":28711,"title":"Exploring the use of overhypotheses by children and capuchin monkeys","subtitle":null,"abstract":"The use of abstract higher-level knowledge (overhypotheses)\nallows humans to learn quickly from sparse data, and make\npredictions in new situations. Previous research has suggested\nthat humans may be the only species capable of abstract\nknowledge formation, but this remains controversial, and there\nis also mixed evidence for when this ability emerges over human\ndevelopment. Kemp et al. (2007) proposed a computational\nmodel of overhypothesis formation from sparse data. We\nprovide the first direct test of this model: an ecologically valid\nparadigm for testing two species, capuchin monkeys (Sapajus\nspp.) and 4-5-year-old human children. We compared\nperformance to predictions made by models with and without\nthe capacity to learn overhypotheses. Children’s choices were\nconsistent with the overhypothesis model predictions, whereas\nmonkeys performed at chance level.","language":"eng","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[{"word":"overhypotheses"},{"word":"abstraction"},{"word":"Generalization"},{"word":"animal\ncognition"},{"word":"Computational Modeling"},{"word":"Cognitive Development"}],"section":"Papers with Poster Presentations","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4xd6c9qx","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"Elisa","middle_name":"","last_name":"Felsche","name_suffix":"","institution":"University of St Andrews","department":""},{"first_name":"Patience","middle_name":"","last_name":"Stevens","name_suffix":"","institution":"Carnegie Mellon University","department":""},{"first_name":"Christoph","middle_name":"","last_name":"Völter","name_suffix":"","institution":"University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna","department":""},{"first_name":"Daphna","middle_name":"","last_name":"Buchsbaum","name_suffix":"","institution":"University of Toronto","department":""},{"first_name":"Amanda","middle_name":"","last_name":"Seed","name_suffix":"","institution":"University of St Andrews","department":""}],"date_submitted":null,"date_accepted":null,"date_published":"2019-01-01T18:00:00Z","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"PDF","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cognitivesciencesociety/article/28711/galley/18582/download/"}]}