A Comparison between the Methodology of the Mainstream in (Neuro-)Psychology, Holzkamp's and Vygotsky's Approach.

The present paper treats the issue of methodological assumptions in mainstream neuropsychology and, as counter-concepts, in Vygotsky's approach and Holzkamp's critical psychology. The analysis identifies four main assumptions concerning the methodology of mainstream neuropsychology, which are contrasted with the positions of other approaches. The methodologies of the mainstream neuropsychology vs.

Contagious yawning and scratching in captive lemurs.

Behavioral contagion is thought to play a significant role in social synchronization and coordination across animal taxa. While there is extensive evidence of behavioral contagion in Haplorrhines (i.e.

Quantity discrimination in 9 ungulate species: Individuals take item number and size into account to discriminate quantities.

The ability to discriminate quantities is crucial for humans and other animals, by allowing individuals to maximize food intake and successfully navigate in their social environment. Here, we used a comprehensive approach to compare quantity discrimination abilities (i.e.

Evidence of object permanence, short-term spatial memory, causality, understanding of object properties and gravity across five different ungulate species.

In their natural environment, animals face a variety of ecological and social challenges, which might be linked to the emergence of different cognitive skills. To assess inter-specific variation in cognitive skills, we used ungulates as a study model, testing a total of 26 captive individuals across 5 different species (i.e.

Perception of optical illusions in ungulates: insights from goats, sheep, guanacos and llamas.

Optical illusions have long been used in behavioural studies to investigate the perceptual mechanisms underlying vision in animals. So far, three studies have focused on ungulates, providing evidence that they may be susceptible to some optical illusions, in a way similar to humans. Here, we used two food-choice tasks to study susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer and Delboeuf illusions in 17 captive individuals belonging to four ungulate species (Lama guanicoe, Lama glama, Ovis aries, Capra hircus).

Variation in neophilia in seven primate species.

Neophilia is a measure of individuals' attraction to novelty and is thought to provide important fitness benefits related to the acquisition of information and the ability to solve novel problems. Although neophilia is thought to vary across individuals and species, few studies have made direct comparisons to assess the factors that predict this variation. Here we operationalized neophilia as the probability of interacting with novel objects and compared the response to familiar and novel objects in 53 captive individuals belonging to seven different primate species: chimpanzees ), bonobos (), Sumatran orangutans (), gorillas (), long-tailed macaques (), tufted capuchin monkeys (), and Geoffroy's spider monkeys ().

Gestural communication in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi).

Gestures play a central role in the communication systems of several animal families, including primates. In this study, we provide a first assessment of the gestural systems of a Platyrrhine species, Geoffroy's spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). We observed a wild group of 52 spider monkeys and assessed the distribution of visual and tactile gestures in the group, the size of individual repertoires and the intentionality and effectiveness of individuals' gestural production.

A first exploratory comparison of the behaviour of wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf-dog hybrids in captivity.

Extensive introgression of genes from domesticated taxa may be a serious threat for the genomic integrity and adaptability of wild populations. Grey wolves (Canis lupus) are especially vulnerable to this phenomenon, but there are no studies yet assessing the potential behavioural effects of dog-introgression in wolves. In this study, we conducted a first systematic comparison of admixed (N = 11) and non-admixed (N = 14) wolves in captivity, focusing on their reaction to unfamiliar humans and novel objects, and the cohesiveness of their social groups.

A longitudinal comparison of maternal behaviour in German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Comparative perspectives are crucial in the study of human development, yet longitudinal comparisons of humans and other primates are still relatively uncommon. Here, we combined theoretical frameworks from cross-cultural and comparative psychology, to study maternal style in 10 mother-infant pairs of German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and 10 mother-infant pairs of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), during the first year of infants' development. We conducted focal observations of different behaviours (i.

Maternal Investment Fosters Male but Not Female Social Interactions with Other Group Members in Immature Wild Spider Monkeys ().

In several species, individuals form long-lasting social relationships with other group members, which provide them with important fitness benefits. In primates, patterns of social relationships are known to differ between sexes, but little is known about how these differences emerge through development or the role that mothers might have in this process. Here, we investigated how sex differences in social behaviour emerge during the first six years of primate life and how sex-biased maternal investment can foster immatures' social development and social interaction with other group members.

Vigilance has mainly a social function in a wild group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi).

Vigilance is a widespread behavior that allows individuals to socially acquire information and/or effectively detect potential risks posed by predators and conspecifics. In this study, we aimed to investigate how social factors (i.e.

Assessing Eysenck's PEN model to describe personality in chimpanzees.

Questionnaires based on human models can be used to reliably assess personality also in non-human primates. In this study, we used an adapted version of Eysenck's Psychoticism-Extraversion-Neuroticism (PEN) model that focuses on three higher-order personality traits. Extending previous work on a small group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), we tested 37 chimpanzees housed at Fundació Mona (Girona, Spain) and the Leipzig Zoo (Germany).

Yawning and scratching contagion in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi).

Behavioural contagion is a widespread phenomenon in animal species, which is thought to promote coordination and group cohesion. Among non-human primates, however, there is no evidence of behavioural contagion in Platyrrhines (i.e.

Corrigendum: Intra-specific variation in the social behavior of Barbary macaques ().

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.

Giraffes make decisions based on statistical information.

The ability to make inferences based on statistical information has so far been tested only in animals having large brains in relation to their body size, like primates and parrots. Here we tested if giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), despite having a smaller relative brain size, can rely on relative frequencies to predict sampling outcomes. We presented them with two transparent containers filled with different quantities of highly-liked food and less-preferred food.

Innovation across 13 ungulate species: problem solvers are less integrated in the social group and less neophobic.

Innovation is the ability to solve new problems or find novel solutions to familiar problems, and it is known to provide animals with crucial fitness benefits. Although this ability has been extensively studied in some taxa, the factors that predict innovation within and across species are still largely unclear. In this study, we used a novel foraging task to test 111 individuals belonging to 13 ungulate species-a still understudied taxon.

Face to face interactions in chimpanzee () and human () mother-infant dyads.

Human mothers interact with their infants in different ways. In Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies, face-to-face interactions and mutual gazes are especially frequent, yet little is known about their developmental trajectories and if they differ from those of other primates. Using a cross-species developmental approach, we compared mother-infant interactions in 10 dyads of urban humans from a WEIRD society () and 10 dyads of captive zoo-based chimpanzees (), when infants were one, six and 12 months old.

Primates unleashed.

Before claiming major differences between the communication systems of humans and other species, it is necessary to (1) overcome methodological limitations in the comparative study of communicative intentions; (2) account for mechanisms other than epistemic vigilance that may also sustain complex forms of communication; and (3) better differentiate between motivational and cognitive factors potentially affecting the emergence of open-ended communication.

Context and prediction matter for the interpretation of social interactions across species.

Predictions about others' future actions are crucial during social interactions, in order to react optimally. Another way to assess such interactions is to define the social context of the situations explicitly and categorize them according to their affective content. Here we investigate how humans assess aggressive, playful and neutral interactions between members of three species: human children, dogs and macaques.

The social dynamics of complex gestural communication in great and lesser apes (, ).

Gestures play an essential role in primate communication. However, little is known about how complexity of gestural use (in terms of repertoire size, intentional use, flexibility and use of gestural sequences) relates to individual and dyadic measures of sociality and whether more complex gestural use is more effective in eliciting a response. We observed 19 captive chimpanzees (), 16 Sumatran orangutans () and 18 siamangs () to assess the complexity and effectiveness of their gestural use.

Cognitive enrichment in a social setting: assessing the use of a novel food maze in sanctuary-housed chimpanzees.

Foraging devices are effective enrichment tools for non-human primates, as they provide both cognitive and manipulative stimulation that may enhance these animals' welfare. We assessed the behavioral effects of a novel tool-based enrichment on 14 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed at Fundació Mona (Girona, Spain). The device consisted of a vertical maze filled with food rewards, which chimpanzees could extract by using tools.

Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings.

Background: In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements. To increase their life prospects and reduce the long-term effects of early aversive conditions, it is therefore crucial to understand the risk factors that negatively affect child development and the factors that are instead beneficial. In this study, we tested (i) the effects of different social and environmental stressors on maternal stress levels, (ii) the dynamic relationship between maternal stress and child behavior problems during development, and (iii) the potential promotive (i.

The Habituation Process in Two Groups of Wild Moor Macaques ().

When studying animal behavior in the wild, some behaviors may require observation from a relatively short distance. In these cases, habituation is commonly used to ensure that animals do not perceive researchers as a direct threat and do not alter their behavior in their presence. However, habituation can have significant effects on the welfare and conservation of the animals.

Intra-specific Variation in the Social Behavior of Barbary macaques ().

Non-human primates show an impressive behavioral diversity, both across and within species. However, the factors explaining intra-specific behavioral variation across groups and individuals are yet understudied. Here, we aimed to assess how group size and living conditions (i.