A problem with problem solving: motivational traits, but not cognition, predict success on novel operant foraging tasks

• Published in: Animal behaviour Vol. 114; pp. 189 - 198
• Main Authors: van Horik, Jayden O., Madden, Joah R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2016; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Ltd; Academic Press
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animal cognition; Birds; body condition; chicks; cognition; foraging; Foraging behavior; foraging innovations; learning; Phasianidae; Phasianus colchicus; pheasants; Problem solving; problem solving; pheasants; cognition; Phasianus colchicus; foraging innovations
• ISSN: 0003-3472; 1095-8282
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.006

Rates of innovative foraging behaviours and success on problem-solving tasks are often used to assay differences in cognition, both within and across species. Yet the cognitive features of some problem-solving tasks can be unclear. As such, explanations that attribute cognitive mechanisms to individual variation in problem-solving performance have revealed conflicting results. We investigated individual consistency in problem-solving performances in captive-reared pheasant chicks, Phasianus colchicus, and addressed whether success depends on cognitive processes, such as trial-and-error associative learning, or whether performances may be driven solely via noncognitive motivational mechanisms, revealed through subjects' willingness to approach, engage with and persist in their interactions with an apparatus, or via physiological traits such as body condition. While subjects' participation and success were consistent within the same problems and across similar tasks, their performances were inconsistent across different types of task. Moreover, subjects' latencies to approach each test apparatus and their attempts to access the reward were not repeatable across trials. Successful individuals did not improve their performances with experience, nor were they consistent in their techniques in repeated presentations of a task. However, individuals that were highly motivated to enter the experimental chamber were more likely to participate. Successful individuals were also faster to approach each test apparatus and more persistent in their attempts to solve the tasks than unsuccessful individuals. Our findings therefore suggest that individual differences in problem-solving success can arise from inherent motivational differences alone and hence be achieved without inferring more complex cognitive processes. •Problem-solving performance was assessed in artificially reared pheasant chicks.•Performance was consistent within same/similar tasks but not across different tasks.•Successful solvers did not improve performance with trial and error experience.•Differences between successful and unsuccessful birds were mediated by motivation.•Success at problem solving may not reveal cognitive differences between individuals.