Features of learning in toads Bufo viridis during behavior that requires taking into account the limits of their own bodies

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Abstract

The goal of this work was to study the ability of the green toad Bufo viridis to form skills based on tactile sensations arising in the process of interaction between animal’s body and external objects. During the experiment we varied the proportions of the holes in the experimental setup, through which the animal penetrated, and the limits of the animal bodies by attaching blankets to their body with an extraneous object. It was found that toads can to take into account the natural limits of their own body when interacting with external objects, and also transfer this experience in a situation where the proportions of the holes in the experiment setup was varied. When the limits of the toad body were urgently changed so that these changes prevent the animals from penetration into certain types of holes, these animals did not learn to take into account the fact that the holes previously permeable to the natural limits of their bodies became impenetrable after increasing these limits. We state that these data indicate that the toads even before the experiment began had experience of taking into account the natural boundaries of their bodies. But toads are not able to modify their body schema, when the limits of their bodies are urgently increased.

General Information

Keywords: learning, body schema, amphibious, toads, self-reflection, embodied cognition

Journal rubric: Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2018110401

Funding. This work was supported of the grant from Grant Council under the President of the Russian Federation № МК-2766.2017.6.

For citation: Khvatov I.A., Zhelankin R.V. Features of learning in toads Bufo viridis during behavior that requires taking into account the limits of their own bodies. Eksperimental'naâ psihologiâ = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2018. Vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 5–16. DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2018110401. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Ivan A. Khvatov, PhD in Psychology, Head, Center for Research and Education in Biopsychology and Chair of General Psychology, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6939-244X, e-mail: ittkrot1@gmail.com

R. V. Zhelankin, Junior Research Scientist, Center for Science and Educational of Biopsychological Research, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: littletick@yandex.ru

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