Models vs feedback
"I must admit to having a little problem with that conclusion. First, one crow did solve the problem; second, the crows all varied widely in their performance on all of the tests, suggesting that problem-solving abilities vary wildly between individuals—no surprise there. Finally, I think the distinction between model-building and feedback-based problem solving skills are artificial points in a mental toolkit that spans a continuum.
The point is that, even when we make models of the world, we rely on feedback to validate those models. Our previous experience also influences how quickly we abandon a model in the absence of positive feedback. These experiments show that, if crows do build models, they don't generalize them very well, and they require a fair bit of reinforcement before they'll abandon the model. But, other than the amount of reinforcement involved and the complexity of the model, is this that different from human behavior?
A relevant example is student learning. In first year physics, students will generally make one, perhaps two, attempts to get an experiment to work before abandoning their efforts and seeking help. In other words, without positive feedback, the students don't trust their model. As they develop experience in experimental physics—even in the artificial environment of teaching labs—they will become more patient and explore a greater a range of possibilities, and less positive feedback is required for the student to trust the model.
Similarly, post-graduate students generally need to learn to explore a range of experimental parameters before deciding that an experiment is not going to work. Finally, an experienced researcher expects that they may not receive positive feedback from an experiment for a year or more. Further, they don't consider an experiment that didn't work a failure unless they can't understand why it didn't work. In those cases, they haven't learned anything from the failure and cannot use the failure to modify their model.
I think the research is really well done, and allows one to draw conclusions about the limits of a crows model-building ability—if, indeed, they have any—and also their trust in those models. But I also feel that the researchers have over-interpreted their results, because they neglect the role of feedback in the construction of models."
References:
Nesa Simon David owns the copyright of all content and ideas on this website. No part of this website and its contents may be reproduced elsewhere without written consent and permission of Nesa Simon David.
Comments
Post new comment