Metacognition in monkeys during an oculomotor task.
Published
Journal Article
This study investigated whether rhesus monkeys show evidence of metacognition in a reduced, visual oculomotor task that is particularly suitable for use in fMRI and electrophysiology. The 2-stage task involved punctate visual stimulation and saccadic eye movement responses. In each trial, monkeys made a decision and then made a bet. To earn maximum reward, they had to monitor their decision and use that information to bet advantageously. Two monkeys learned to base their bets on their decisions within a few weeks. We implemented an operational definition of metacognitive behavior that relied on trial-by-trial analyses and signal detection theory. Both monkeys exhibited metacognition according to these quantitative criteria. Neither external visual cues nor potential reaction time cues explained the betting behavior; the animals seemed to rely exclusively on internal traces of their decisions. We documented the learning process of one monkey. During a 10-session transition phase, betting switched from random to a decision-based strategy. The results reinforce previous findings of metacognitive ability in monkeys and may facilitate the neurophysiological investigation of metacognitive functions.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Middlebrooks, PG; Sommer, MA
Published Date
- March 2011
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 37 / 2
Start / End Page
- 325 - 337
PubMed ID
- 21171807
Pubmed Central ID
- 21171807
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1939-1285
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0278-7393
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1037/a0021611
Language
- eng