Judgements of ordinality and summation of number symbols by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract

In Experiment 1, 2 squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were given choices between all possible pairs of the arabic numbers 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, with choice of any number yielding that number of pieces of peanut as a reward. Both monkeys learned to choose the larger number in all pairings and learned to choose the largest number within a set of 4 numbers. In Experiments 2-4, the monkeys were tested on problems in which they chose between pairs of stimuli containing 2 numbers versus 2 numbers, 1 number versus 2 numbers, and 3 numbers versus 3 numbers. Both monkeys showed a significant tendency to choose the stimulus that contained the largest sum. Various tests indicated that this effect could not be explained by choice of the stimulus with the largest single number, by avoidance of the stimulus with the smallest single number, or by experimenter cuing.