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posted by mrpg on Thursday November 22 2018, @02:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the smart dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Dogs know when they don't know

In the field of comparative psychology, researchers study animals in order to learn about the evolution of various traits and what this can tell us about ourselves. At the DogStudies lab at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, project leader Juliane Bräuer studies dogs to make these comparisons. In a recent study published in the journal Learning & Behavior, Bräuer and colleague Julia Belger, now of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, explore whether dogs have metacognitive abilities -- sometimes described as the ability to "know what one knows" -- and in particular whether they are aware of what information they have learned and whether they need more information.

To test this, the researchers designed an apparatus involving two V-shaped fences. A reward, either food or a toy, would be placed by one researcher behind one of the two fences while another researcher held the dog. In some cases, the dog could see where the reward was placed, while in others the dog could not. The researchers then analyzed how frequently the dogs looked through a gap in the fence before choosing an option. The question was whether, like chimps and humans, the dog would "check" through the gap when he or she had not seen where the reward was placed. This would indicate that the dog was aware that he or she did not know where the reward was -- a metacognitive ability -- and would try to get more information before choosing a fence.


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  • (Score: 0, Troll) by jimbrooking on Thursday November 22 2018, @02:32AM (4 children)

    by jimbrooking (3465) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 22 2018, @02:32AM (#765045)

    I wonder if Trump would pass the test....

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  • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by captain normal on Thursday November 22 2018, @05:10AM (3 children)

    by captain normal (2205) on Thursday November 22 2018, @05:10AM (#765070)

    Do you really think he is as smart as a dog?

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    When life isn't going right, go left.
    • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday November 22 2018, @05:33AM

      by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Thursday November 22 2018, @05:33AM (#765076) Homepage Journal

      Not.

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      Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by Blymie on Thursday November 22 2018, @07:49AM (1 child)

      by Blymie (4020) on Thursday November 22 2018, @07:49AM (#765091)

      I'm sure Trump is actually fairly intelligent. Thing is, *how* is he intelligent?

      I'd say likely there's a massive problem with impulse control, and logical deduction as a likely. I think a lot of the time, he just doesn't give a fuck... and I'm not saying that's a good thing in a President heh.

      But on the other side of the coin, a lot of what he does is 'playing to the crowd'. He doesn't care what someone that won't ever ever vote for him thinks, he wants to play to those that *might* vote for him.

      So couple those two things together.. and he can certainly seem very unintelligent if your world view doesn't agree with his.

      And the "not give a fuck" thing, as in .. not paying attention to advisors, ignoring information, that sort of thing -- that's... scary.

      But I firmly believe "know your enemy" or even your "foe" if not enemy. So don't underestimate. Try to figure out the real chinks in the armour, not just "stupid" and such.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 22 2018, @01:39PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 22 2018, @01:39PM (#765169)

        Try to figure out the real chinks in the armour, not just "stupid" and such.

        Armour? Huh! More like a thick rind.
        Sorry pal I'll continue to treat him the way he worth, that is ignore him