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Rhesus monkeys metacognitively monitor memories of the order of events.
Sci Rep. 2018 08 01; 8(1):11541.SR

Abstract

Human working memory is a capacity- and duration-limited system in which retention and manipulation of information is subject to metacognitive monitoring and control. At least some nonhuman animals appear to also monitor and control the contents of working memory, but only relatively simple cases where animals monitor or control the presence or absence of single memories have been studied. Here we combine a comparatively complex order memory task with methodology that assesses the capacity to introspect about memory. Monkeys observed sequential presentations of five images, and at test, reported which of two images from the list had appeared first during study. Concurrently, they chose to complete or avoid these tests on a trial-by-trial basis. Monkeys "knew when they knew" the correct response. They were less accurate discriminating images that had appeared close in time to one another during study and were more likely to avoid these difficult tests than they were to avoid easier tests. These results indicate that monkeys can metacognitively monitor relatively complex properties of the contents of working memory, including the quality of representations of temporal relations among images.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Templer VL
Department of Psychology, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Sq., Providence, RI, 02918, USA. vtempler@providence.edu.
Brown EK
Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
Hampton RR
Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.

MeSH

AnimalsBrainMacaca mulattaMemory, Short-TermMetacognitionTime

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Language

eng

PubMed ID

30068995

Citation

Templer, Victoria L., et al. "Rhesus Monkeys Metacognitively Monitor Memories of the Order of Events." Scientific Reports, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, p. 11541.
Templer VL, Brown EK, Hampton RR. Rhesus monkeys metacognitively monitor memories of the order of events. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):11541.
Templer, V. L., Brown, E. K., & Hampton, R. R. (2018). Rhesus monkeys metacognitively monitor memories of the order of events. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 11541. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30001-y
Templer VL, Brown EK, Hampton RR. Rhesus Monkeys Metacognitively Monitor Memories of the Order of Events. Sci Rep. 2018 08 1;8(1):11541. PubMed PMID: 30068995.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Rhesus monkeys metacognitively monitor memories of the order of events. AU - Templer,Victoria L, AU - Brown,Emily Kathryn, AU - Hampton,Robert R, Y1 - 2018/08/01/ PY - 2018/04/10/received PY - 2018/07/16/accepted PY - 2018/8/3/entrez PY - 2018/8/3/pubmed PY - 2019/10/18/medline SP - 11541 EP - 11541 JF - Scientific reports JO - Sci Rep VL - 8 IS - 1 N2 - Human working memory is a capacity- and duration-limited system in which retention and manipulation of information is subject to metacognitive monitoring and control. At least some nonhuman animals appear to also monitor and control the contents of working memory, but only relatively simple cases where animals monitor or control the presence or absence of single memories have been studied. Here we combine a comparatively complex order memory task with methodology that assesses the capacity to introspect about memory. Monkeys observed sequential presentations of five images, and at test, reported which of two images from the list had appeared first during study. Concurrently, they chose to complete or avoid these tests on a trial-by-trial basis. Monkeys "knew when they knew" the correct response. They were less accurate discriminating images that had appeared close in time to one another during study and were more likely to avoid these difficult tests than they were to avoid easier tests. These results indicate that monkeys can metacognitively monitor relatively complex properties of the contents of working memory, including the quality of representations of temporal relations among images. SN - 2045-2322 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/30068995/Rhesus_monkeys_metacognitively_monitor_memories_of_the_order_of_events_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -